At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, an Ameren Illinois gas crew responded to the scene of a gas leak in which a third party contractor ruptured an underground gas service line in downtown Canton, Illinois, located approximately 40 minutes southwest of Peoria. The Ameren Illinois crew was in the process of making repairs outside of the structure when an explosion occurred. One Ameren Illinois worker was fatally injured. Three others were treated at local hospitals.
The cause of the explosion is being investigated.
We express our deep sadness and profound sympathies to the family of our fallen Ameren Illinois worker and ask everyone to please keep his family and the families of the injured in their thoughts and prayers. The utility business is a close brotherhood, and our family is hurting.