Multiple explosions at an American steel plant near Pittsburgh killed two people and wounded another 10, according to the company and local authorities on Monday.
The explosions in the works of CLIRIRTON Coke, part of an extensive industrial complex along the Monongahela River, took place just before 11 am et (1500 GMT).
Firefighters fought against flames and heavy smoke that left the plant, owned by Us Steel, a subsidiary of Nippon Steel.
Initially, two people were reported as missing. A person was found and transported to a local hospital, said Allegheny County Police Assistant, Victor Joseph, at an afternoon conference.
The other individual, who had been missing, was found dead after an extensive search and rescue effort, said Us Steel in a statement sent by email to Reuters on Monday night.
There was still no word about a possible cause of the explosion.
The explosion investigation would be “a technical investigation that consumes a lot of time,” said Joseph.
David Burritt, president and executive director of US Steel, said in a statement that the company was working with local authorities to discover the cause.
The governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, published in X that there were multiple explosions in the plant and that his administration was in contact with local officials.
“The scene is still active, and nearby people must follow the direction of local authorities,” he wrote at the time the employee was missing.
The seriousness of the injuries was not known, but the news accounts said several people were taken to the hospital burns units.
The mayor of CLIRIRTON, Rich Lattanzi, said it was a horrible day for the city, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh, known as America's Steel City.
Us Steel has produced steel in the area since the end of the 19th century, but in recent decades, the industry has been in decline, leading to the closures and restructuring of the plants.
In June, Nippon Steel, the largest steel manufacturer in Japan, closed its acquisition of $ 14.9 billion US Steel after an 18 -month struggle to obtain the approval of the United States government for the agreement, which faced scrutiny due to national security concerns.
Although the air quality monitors did not detect a dangerous increase in sulfur dioxide after Monday's explosions, residents were advised to less than 1 mile of the plant that remained indoors, they close windows and doors, they established the HVAC systems to recirculate and avoid activities that are based on the outer air, Sara Innamorate said of Alleghen's county in the report.
CLIRIRTON COKE WORKS IS THE COCA MANUFACTURE INSTALLATION -Larger Coca in the United States, which uses some 1,300 workers. It operates 10 Coca -Cola Oven Batteries, which produce around 4.3 million tons of coca -Cola per year.
Coca -Cola is produced by heating coal at high temperatures. It is used in blasting as part of the steel manufacturing process.
