Two Men Badly Burned In Oilfield Explosion

KARNES CITY, Texas (AP) — Officials say two men were hospitalized for second- and third-degree burns following an explosion at an oilfield site in South Texas.

A Karnes County Sheriff's Office spokesman says two workers at Premier Tank Services on Monday afternoon were performing welding work on a tanker truck using a torch when the tank exploded.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the tank hadn't properly been cleaned out when sparks caused the blast.

Authorities say the 37-year-old and 44-year-old workers were taken to a San Antonio hospital for treatment of their injuries. The state agency says the 37-year-old had burns from the waist up while the 44-year-old had burns on his entire body.