(NewsNation) — Texas authorities investigating a pipeline explosion near Houston this week have found human remains inside a white vehicle that traveled through a white fence and struck an above-ground valve and are treating the matter as a criminal investigation, officials said Thursday.
The Deer Park Fire Department said investigators were able to access the site of the explosion and remove the vehicle that was involved. Investigators found human remains inside the vehicle and have started the identification process. Officials said that the process will take time.
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Deer Park officials said Wednesday that police and local FBI agents initiated investigations and found no preliminary reports that would suggest a coordinated or “terrorist” attack and that “this appears to be an isolated incident,” The Associated Press reported.
The probe included efforts to learn more about the driver of a vehicle that was incinerated by the explosion as flames scorched the ground across a wide radius, severed adjacent power transmission lines and ignited homes at a distance. Before Thursday’s announcement, officials said they did not know the condition of the driver.
An evacuation area included nearly 1,000 homes, and initial shelter orders included schools. Utility workers and others shut off the flow of natural gas liquids in the pipeline, but so much remained in the miles of tubing that firefighters could do nothing but watch and hose down adjacent homes, according to the AP.
Investigators said they would release more information about the matter as more information became available. The investigation into the explosion remains active.