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Worker Dies After Natural Gas Accident

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A worker has died from injuries suffered in an accident at a natural gas operation in Tyler County, WV.

The Tyler County Sheriff's Office said Sunday that Bruce Phipps, 56, of Marietta died late Friday night.

Two other workers were injured in Thursday's accident at a Eureka Hunter Pipeline operation near Wick. The sheriff's office says it doesn't have any information on them.

Authorities have said the incident was an explosion at a compressor station. But Eureka's parent, Magnum Hunter Resources, says it was a flash fire at a "pig receiving tation." Pigs are devices used to clean out or to inspect pipelines.

Magnum says initial reports indicate that natural gas liquids ignited in tanks during "pigging" operations and fueled the fire.

Magnum says the workers were employed by contractors.