CANTON, Ill. (AP) — Federal investigators say drilling to install a fiber optic conduit likely caused a gas explosion that killed one person and injuring 11 more in a central Illinois community.
The National Transportation Safety Board issued a draft report Monday saying the drilling by Sure Shot Communications LLC pierced a 1-inch natural gas line, causing the Nov. 16, 2016, explosion in Canton, 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Chicago.
The explosion occurred while utility workers were trying to fix the gas leak. The blast killed a 38-year-old Ameren Illinois employee, Arturo Silva Jr. of Mapleton.
The report says Sure Shot's decision not to excavate at the site to inspect the work contributed to the gas line damage.
