Copiah County Sheriff’s Department investigators are lookinginto a water tank explosion Thursday in Barlow that left two menseriously injured.

Sheriff Harold Jones said he had very little information on theinvestigation, saying it was being handled by Investigator MiltonTwiner. Twiner was at the scene of the accident this morning andwas not available for comment.

Don Weathersby, director of Copiah County Emergency Services,said he responded to the scene, about one mile from Highway 28 onBarlow Road.

“They were apparently painting the inside of a water tank andsomething ignited it, resulting in an explosion,” Weathersbysaid.

Weathersby said he did not know what caused the explosion or theidentities of the injured men.

The two men were transported by air to the University ofMississippi Medical Center in Jackson and then on to theMississippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Center in Greenville,Weathersby said.

Emergency management personnel from across the county assistedat the scene Thursday, he said.