A horrific explosion at a food dye factory in Kentucky killed two individuals and injured about a dozen others.
The incident occurred in the Clifton neighborhood of Louisville.
Video footage captured the moment of the explosion:
Our sky track camera caught the explosion in Clifton: pic.twitter.com/lbfmMBqtyr
— John Boel (@JohnBoelWAVE3) November 12, 2024
“At this time numerous emergency responders are currently on the scene following a significant explosion at an industrial building in Clifton, right near Louisville Kentucky. Officials report that multiple people are trapped, injured, or missing. As witnesses described the explosion as massive, with the blast shattering windows in nearby buildings,” Rawsalerts wrote Tuesday.
“Emergency crews have issued a shelter-in-place order within a one-mile radius due to hazardous materials. The exact cause of the explosion is still unknown and will be investigated,” the post added.
🚨#BREAKING: A significant Explosion Leaves Multiple People Trapped and injured or missing with One Mile Shelter in Place Issued Due to Hazardous Materials
At this time Numerous emergency responders are currently on the scene following a significant… pic.twitter.com/Zl8Pdx2p10
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 12, 2024
Per NBC News:
Food and cosmetics company Givaudan said that the blast occurred at its Sense Colour factory, east of downtown, and that two of its team members were killed.
The blast happened around 3 p.m. local time at the facility, which makes natural food colorings.
Fire Chief Brian O’Neill credited the workers with their emergency response to get most people out. Firefighters rescued one person who was trapped and assisted others in escaping the building.
“Once we got the fire knocked down, we immediately started air monitoring for the immediate area,” O’Neill said. “You may have heard that there was an evacuation; that was a precautionary measure.”
He said that was ordered because authorities did not know what they were up against. Nothing has shown chemical issues in the air to cause concern, he said.
“We have a heartbreaking update from Louisville: Two people have died from the explosion that took place yesterday. I hope everyone will join Britainy and me in praying for their families and the entire community,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote.
We have a heartbreaking update from Louisville: Two people have died from the explosion that took place yesterday. I hope everyone will join Britainy and me in praying for their families and the entire community. ^AB https://t.co/1oOuYouUkK
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) November 13, 2024
“Two people were killed and several injured during the explosion at Givaudan Sense Colour in Louisville. Large pieces of metal shrapnel landed more than 100 feet away into homes, snapping utility poles and covering debris with a dark, tar-like substance,” Matt Stone, photographer for the Louisville Courier Journal, said.
Two people were killed and several injured during the explosion at Givaudan Sense Colour in Louisville. Large pieces of metal shrapnel landed more than 100 feet away into homes, snapping utility poles and covering debris with a dark, tar-like substance. https://t.co/LoQnPOd2Xc pic.twitter.com/KxoHS9wlyq
— Matt Stone (@mattstonephotog) November 13, 2024
“In a statement, Givaudan, owner of the plant in the Clifton neighborhood, announced overnight that two employees had died following the explosion Tuesday,” the Louisville Courier Journal noted.
BREAKING: There's been an explosion in Louisville's Clifton neighborhood on Payne Street. Video shot from @WLKY: pic.twitter.com/hPr1X0OjTo
— Paul Miles (@PaulMiles840) November 12, 2024
From the Louisville Courier Journal:
Two patients injured in the explosion are in critical condition, University of Louisville Hospital Chief Medical officer Dr. Jason Smith said during a news conference.
Five other patients receiving treatment are in stable condition, Smith said. UofL is treating seven of the 11 people hospitalized in the explosion.
Smith said patients were either injured by the force of the blast, burns, or debris that had fallen during the explosion.
The patients UofL received were cleaned in a decontamination process prior to receiving treatment for their wounds, he said.
“For something like this, they had exposure to a lot of different chemicals, so we made sure we decontaminate them for everything,” Smith said.
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