UPDATE: Authorities are now saying that at least 7 people have been injured in the Colonial Pipeline blast.
HELENA, Ala. (AP) — At least five people are reported injured after what’s being described as an explosion in rural Alabama.
Details are sketchy, but video from area media shows a huge plume of flame and smoke rising in what appears to be a wooded area in Shelby County southwest of Birmingham. It’s unclear what exploded, but gas lines run through the area.
Helena police say they’re assisting Shelby County authorities with a pipeline fire.
Several fire departments are sending crews to assist, and media reports say at least five people were hurt and headed to a hospital.
A pipeline leaked thousands of gallons of gas southwest of Birmingham near Helena, but there’s no immediate indication of a connection between the leak and the fire.
