Natural Gas Explosion 1957 Villa Rica Georgia

On Thursday, December 5, 1957, shortly after 11 a.m., a natural gas explosion ripped through the downtown area of Villa Rica, Geoprgia, killing 12 people and injuring at least 20 others. According to newspaper accounts of the time, several eye witnesses described the blast as a loud "whoomp,", that was more like a clap than a bang. Others said that the town suddenly looked as if it had been hit by an atom bomb. A natural gas leak under Berry's Pharmacy caused an explosion that destroyed four buildings and damaged several others. The tragedy highlighted the need for both an organized local emergency response unit and the use of odor in the natural gas supply. The civil defense unit that resulted became a model for west Georgia. Ensuing litigation placed a considerable financial burden on the city, suppressing economic development for years. In terms of injury and loss of life, the explosion remains the most catastrophic event in Carroll County history. A 50th anniversary DVD is available at http://www.douglaspix.com/?cat=6 . This is clipped from a December 9th, 1957 newsreel posted on the Internet Archive.

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