Clairton Coke Works explosion: 1 killed, dozens trapped under rubble at U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania
Emergency officials are on the scene as dozens were reportedly injured by the explosion.
One person has died and dozens are reportedly injured or trapped under rubble following an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh on Monday, an Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson told the Associated Press.
A fire erupted at Clairton Coke Works around 10:51 a.m. ET, the AP reported.
“There is rescue operation underway for people trapped under the rubble,” Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County, said in a statement, according to CNN. “The Health Department is on site monitoring air quality. We will release more information when we can.”
Clairton Coke Works sits along the Monongahela River, about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, and is part of the U.S. Steel manufacturing group based out of western Pennsylvania. Plants like this heat up coal to produce coke, a carbon-rich substance that’s crucial for creating steel. Clairton Coke Works is considered the largest coke plant in North America, according to U.S. Steel, and produces around 4.3 million tons of coke annually.
The explosion reportedly took place inside the plant’s “reversing” room, sources told Pittsburgh KDKA reporter Ricky Sayer, which is a specialized area within the coke-producing oven that’s designed to help control air and gas flows during the coal heating process.
Two people are being treated at the UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, a spokesperson told CNN.
“It felt like thunder,” Zachary Buday, a construction worker who was near the scene at the time of the explosion, told local ABC affiliate, 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.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in an X post that his administration was in touch with local officials.
“The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,” Shapiro wrote. “Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community.”
Over the last few years, Clairton Coke Works has faced a number of lawsuits regarding its pollution. Most recently, in 2019, the plant settled a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million and agreed to spend at least $6.5 million to reduce its soot emissions and noxious odors.
“The mill is such a big part of Clairton,” Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said Monday afternoon, according to AP. “It’s just a sad day for Clairton.”
This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for updates.
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