Gas meter being moved at time of Minnehaha Academy Explosion, NTSB says

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Contractors at Minnehaha Academy were in the process of moving a gas meter when Wednesday's fatal gas explosion took place, according to preliminary information from National Transportation Safety Board officials.

Despite their name, the NTSB handles many investigations into pipeline accidents, such as Wednesday's incident, which killed two staff members and injured nine more people.

Just 24 hours after the incident, investigators from the NTSB "Go Team" arrived in Minneapolis to begin the long, arduous process of figuring out exactly what went wrong, and how to prevent such tragedies in the future. 

Officials have not yet spoken with the private contractors from Twin Cities-based Master Mechanical or energy company CenterPoint, but plan to in the days to come. 

In a press conference Thursday, NTSB member Christopher Hart outlined the agency's investigative process, which could take more than a year.

The investigation formally begins Friday and investigators are planning to be on scene for roughly a week, with plans to compile witness reports and expert analysis in the days to come.

Anyone who saw the incident or who may have information on what happened is encouraged to email Terry Williams, the NTSB public relations coordinator, at terry.williams@ntsb.gov.