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| Louisiana chemical plant explosion leaves one dead and dozens injured | Louisiana chemical plant explosion leaves one dead and dozens injured |
| (4 months later) | |
| At least one person was killed and dozens of others injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in Louisiana, according to authorities. | At least one person was killed and dozens of others injured after an explosion at a chemical plant in Louisiana, according to authorities. |
| Louisiana's health department said 73 people were treated at hospitals for injuries ranging from minor to critical following the blast on Thursday morning. | Louisiana's health department said 73 people were treated at hospitals for injuries ranging from minor to critical following the blast on Thursday morning. |
| Captain Doug Cain of state police said a body was found by hazardous materials crews going through the facility owned by the Williams Companies Inc, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. | Captain Doug Cain of state police said a body was found by hazardous materials crews going through the facility owned by the Williams Companies Inc, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. |
| Cain said all of the plant's more than 300 workers had been accounted for by Thursday afternoon. | Cain said all of the plant's more than 300 workers had been accounted for by Thursday afternoon. |
| The company said the blast occurred at 8.37am local time at the plant in an industrial area of Geismar, a Mississippi river community about 20 miles south-east of Baton Rouge. The cause was not immediately known. | The company said the blast occurred at 8.37am local time at the plant in an industrial area of Geismar, a Mississippi river community about 20 miles south-east of Baton Rouge. The cause was not immediately known. |
| The FBI said terrorism was not suspected. | The FBI said terrorism was not suspected. |
| A few homes and four other plants are within two miles, said Lester Kenyon, spokesman for Ascension parish government. The Williams facility is one of scores of chemical and industrial facilities that dot the riverside between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. | A few homes and four other plants are within two miles, said Lester Kenyon, spokesman for Ascension parish government. The Williams facility is one of scores of chemical and industrial facilities that dot the riverside between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. |
| A contract worker, Daniel Cuthbertson, 34, described a scene of "mass hysteria" immediately after the explosion, with workers scrambling over gates to get out of the plant. | A contract worker, Daniel Cuthbertson, 34, described a scene of "mass hysteria" immediately after the explosion, with workers scrambling over gates to get out of the plant. |
| "God was with me today because I know when I looked back, I barely made it. I know somebody was hurt. There's no way everybody escaped that," said Cuthbertson, who was interviewed at an emergency staging area about two miles from the plant. | "God was with me today because I know when I looked back, I barely made it. I know somebody was hurt. There's no way everybody escaped that," said Cuthbertson, who was interviewed at an emergency staging area about two miles from the plant. |
| State senator Troy Brown said the ground shook at his house, several miles from the plant. "It felt like a three-second earthquake. It was a massive explosion," he said. | State senator Troy Brown said the ground shook at his house, several miles from the plant. "It felt like a three-second earthquake. It was a massive explosion," he said. |
| He drove to a nearby gas station and saw flames 100-200ft high. "It was scary," he said. | He drove to a nearby gas station and saw flames 100-200ft high. "It was scary," he said. |
| Officials at area hospitals said a handful of patients were in critical or serious condition, though most seemed to have only minor injuries. | Officials at area hospitals said a handful of patients were in critical or serious condition, though most seemed to have only minor injuries. |
| Early tests did not indicate dangerous levels of any chemicals around the plant after the blast, but Cain said air monitoring continued throughout Thursday afternoon. | Early tests did not indicate dangerous levels of any chemicals around the plant after the blast, but Cain said air monitoring continued throughout Thursday afternoon. |
| Seven fire departments responded to the blaze, Kenyon said. | Seven fire departments responded to the blaze, Kenyon said. |
| Cain said the fire was out, but gas was being flared – burned at the top of high chimneys – in other parts of the plant. "There is still some controlled flaring going on, so people in the area are going to see smoke," he said. | Cain said the fire was out, but gas was being flared – burned at the top of high chimneys – in other parts of the plant. "There is still some controlled flaring going on, so people in the area are going to see smoke," he said. |
| Authorities said the plant makes ethylene and propylene – highly flammable gases that are widely used in the petrochemical industry. | Authorities said the plant makes ethylene and propylene – highly flammable gases that are widely used in the petrochemical industry. |
| A thick plume of black smoke rose from the plant after the blast. In the early hours after the explosion, at a roadblock several miles away where family members waited anxiously to hear about loved ones, flames were easily visible above the trees. | A thick plume of black smoke rose from the plant after the blast. In the early hours after the explosion, at a roadblock several miles away where family members waited anxiously to hear about loved ones, flames were easily visible above the trees. |
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