3 Injured In Eddy County, NM Tank Battery Explosion
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: November 9, 2012
Officials from the Eddy County Office of Emergency Management say that a tank battery exploded off of Jal Highway (NM 128) Southeast of Carlsbad around 6:30 AM on November 8th.
When emergency officials arrived on the scene, they say they saw 2 partially-filled oil tanks and two foam injection trailers on fire.
Scott Manley, Jose Betancur and Gabriel Valdez suffered injuries in the explosion -- with two of them suffering severe burns.
Manley, 46, Betancur, 35, and Valdez, 45, were airlifted to Carlsbad Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries.
Manley is reportedly from Flora Vista, NM -- while Betancur and Valdez are from Hobbs, NM.
Authorities say all 3 men work for air drilling out of Hobbs.
The owner of the well site -- X.T.O. Hobbs -- is investigating the explosion.
That investigation could reportedly take several weeks.
Emergency responders included members of the Emergency Response Team (E.R.T.) from the Mosaic Mine, W.I.P.P., The Eddy County Sherriff's Department and the New Mexico State Police, the Carlsbad Fire Department and the Eddy County Volunteer Fire Departments.

