The gas leak in Satartia that has caused over 40 people to be treated at hospitals and many homes to be evacuated appears to have been caused by recent heavy rainfall.
A 24-inch pipe transporting carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide used by Denbury for oilfield operations appears to have been damaged by ground caving into a ravine due to the heavy rain.
The rupture occurred in a heavily wooded area near MS Highway 433 near Satartia. Over 300 residents were evacuated, and 46 people are were treated at area hospitals.
Residents in the area complained of green gas and a noxious odor Saturday evening around 8 p.m. Yazoo County Emergency Management Director Jack Willingham said his office is being assisted by the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is working to determine if the area is safe so residents can return home. Meanwhile, a shelter is open at Yazoo County Junior High School, located at 116 Panther Drive, Yazoo City.
