SEWARD COUNTY – Investigators say the cause of the January 13, explosion and fire at Groendyke Transportation southwest of Liberal has been classified as undetermined, according to state Fire Marshal information manager Kevin Doel. The case remains open he reported in an email.

“We’ve heard nothing new on the investigation,” said Seward County Fire Chief Andrew Barkley.

A tanker truck and three employees were inside a large wash bay at the time of the explosion. The tank trailer was not loaded and was being externally washed. Its last contents were condensate, a natural gas processing byproduct, according to a Groendyke corporate media release.

One of the three employees flown to St. Francis Hospital in Wichita with critical burns was expected to be released from the hospital on Friday.

Two others are being transitioned to rehab in Wichita, according to Matthew Palmer with Groendyke.

The company’s terminal parking lot remains open but office operations continue at a church on nearby Kansas Avenue, according to Palmer.