Remains of 5 missing in Oklahoma explosion discovered
UPDATE: Officials said the remains of the missing 5 employees were discovered Tuesday afternoon.
Officials have identified five people who went missing after a gas well explosion in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma.
During a news conference, officials announced the names of five people missing:
Josh Ray, 35, Fort Worth, TX
Matt Smith, 29, McAlester, OK
Cody Risk, 26, Wellington, CO
Parker Waldridge, Crescent, OK
Roger Cunningham, Seminole, OK
The blast happened Monday morning at a drilling site near Quinton, about 100 miles southeast of Tulsa. The explosion sent plumes of black smoke into the air and left a derrick crumpled on the ground. For much of the day Monday, emergency officials were unable to get near the rig because the fire was still burning.
Emergency management officials said Monday night that the fire was extinguished. Authorities say 16 people who were on the site at the time of the blast escaped without major injuries. One person was airlifted to a hospital, and five others remain missing.
The cause of the blast is not yet known.
First responders are at the scene of a reported gas well fire in Pittsburg County.
According to our ABC affiliate in Tulsa, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office says the fire was reported near Quinton Monday morning.
Officials said there were 22 workers on the oil rig in Quinton. Officials said 17 workers were accounted for after the fire, and 5 remain missing.
Pittsburg County Emergency Management says they can't confirm whether anyone has been reported missing, but the emergency management director is at the scene.
According to officials with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Red Mountain Energy LLC from Oklahoma City is the operator of the well. Workers were drilling a new well at the time of the explosion, according to the OCC.