 "Emergency crew gather after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a US Steel coking plant, on Monday in Clairton, Penn. AP")
An explosion at a US Steel plant near Pittsburgh on Monday has killed one person and injured multiple others, with at least two people missing, police said, as fire crews could be seen battling flames while heavy smoke rose from the facility.
The explosion occurred at about 11 am at the U.S. Clairton Coke Works plant, which is owned by US Steel, a subsidiary of Nippon Steel.
According to a Reuters report, Allegheny County Police spokesperson Jim Madalinsky said at least two people are missing, one person has been confirmed dead, and multiple others were injured.
While the severity of the injuries remains unclear, local reports indicate that several victims were transported to hospital burn units for treatment.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the explosion.
Earlier, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirmed via social media that his administration is in contact with local officials as emergency crews respond to the incident.
“The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,” he wrote, asking readers to join him in prayer for the Clairton community.
Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County, told the Associated Press that the explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley, a region synonymous with the state for more than a century.
“It felt like thunder,” AP quoted Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, as saying to WTAE-TV.
“Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building, and then when we saw the dark smoke coming up from the steel mill and put two and two together, and it’s like something bad happened,” he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAn Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said dozens were injured and the county was sending 15 ambulances, on top of the ambulances supplied by local emergency response agencies.
Clairton Plant is about 32km south of Pittsburgh on the west bank of the Monongahela River. The largest coke manufacturing facility in the US, Clairton Plant operates 10 coke oven batteries and produces about 4.3 million tonnes of coke per year, according to US Steel.
The facility serves customers in the commercial coke market as well as US Steel’s steelmaking facilities.
With inputs from agencies