An explosion at a Granite City recycling plant in Illinois reportedly killed two people and injured one other early Monday morning.
An
initial report from CBS St. Louis said the Granite City plant, Totall Metal Recycling located on Missouri Avenue, in part specialized in demilitarization recycling, and that at least one mortar shell exploded.
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Authorities have evacuated the area for fear of subsequent explosions, and the bodies of the victims remained inside as investigators began assessing the situation. An Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit from Scott Air Force Base arrived by truck to
work with the police bomb squad, Fox affiliate KTVI reported.
The injured victim was transported to a nearby hospital, but that person's condition remained unknown Monday afternoon. Major Jeff Connor of the Granite City Police Department
told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the victim was able to communicate with rescuers.
A maintenance worker at the plant, Miguel Romo, 41, of Fairmount City, said he was inside the building and heard the explosion around 6:30 a.m. He told the Post-Dispatch his brother was in the blast area, and after he couldn't find him, he suspected he was dead.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration sent Aaron Priddy, area director at the Fairview Heights area office, to investigate potential compliance issues that may have contributed to or caused the explosion. He is coordinating with the fire chief and an ATF agent. He said the facility had serious violations in 2011 and 2012 for lead and respiratory violations, the Post-Dispatch reported.
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