Explosion in Pennsylvania: Two Dead, Ten Injured, Causes Still Under Investigation
Kyiv • UNN
An explosion at the US Steel plant in Pennsylvania resulted in two deaths and ten injuries. The company promises a thorough investigation into the causes of the incident.
A serious explosion occurred at a steel plant in Pennsylvania, USA. At least two people died and ten were injured. The CEO of US Steel, the company that owns the Clairton coke plant, one of the main plants in this US state, promised to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the causes of the explosion.
UNN reports with reference to AP, CBS and Euronews.
Details
On Monday, an explosion destroyed a steel plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The explosion resulted in two deaths and ten injuries.
One worker was found alive in the rubble hours after the explosion, which sent plumes of black smoke rising into the midday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state associated with steel for over a century. The Allegheny County Emergency Services reported that the fire at the plant started around 10:51 AM.
Comment
"It sounded like thunder," Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the construction site, told local media.
It shook the scaffolding, it shook my chest, it shook the building, and then when we saw dark smoke coming out of the steel mill, we put two and two together, and it was like something bad had happened
Authorities' reaction and investigation into the cause of the explosion
Local authorities said they were still trying to determine what happened. US Steel employees "did an excellent job" by going to the site and rescuing workers, shutting off gas supplies, and ensuring the stability of the facility, said Scott Bakiso, US Steel's production director, at a press conference.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed, and an investigation has been launched. David Burritt, CEO of US Steel, stated that the company is "working closely with the relevant authorities." Later at a press conference, he stated that the plant's condition is "stable," but "the investigation is still ongoing."
What about US Steel employees
Five of the injured are in critical but stable condition, CBS News reports. Others have been discharged from the hospital.
Reference
The plant is the largest coking plant, which produces coal for steel production, in North America. The enterprise is located approximately 25 km south of Pittsburgh. According to US Steel, about 1,300 employees work at the facility.
Problems not for the first time
US Steel, the plant's owner, was fined nearly $2 million (10.89 million reais at the current exchange rate) last year by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) due to processing and equipment issues at its coke ovens.
The ACHD also fined US Steel $2.2 million (11.97 million reais) in 2023 when the Clairton plant exceeded Pennsylvania's hydrogen sulfide emission limits. The agency ordered the company to provide authorities with a plan to comply with state standards.
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