Clairton Coke Works explosion: 1 killed, dozens trapped under rubble at U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania
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.'Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Train carrying possible hazardous materials derails in Texas: Officials
A train that may be carrying hazardous materials derailed in Palo Pinto County, Texas, on Tuesday, according to local officials. The incident occurred at about 2 p.m., local time, over a railroad bridge on Coalville Road, about two miles east of Gordon, Texas, according to Palo Pinto County emergency services. The train was from Union Pacific Railroad, the company confirmed to ABC News. Approximately 35 Union Pacific cars derailed. Union Pacific said no one was injured in the derailment. MORE: NTSB reveals cause of 2023 toxic train crash in East Palestine, Ohio Palo Pinto County emergency services said no cars are leaking contents and that crews are on scene, mitigating the damage and hazards. The Palo Pinto Fire Department is working to contain a grass fire at the scene. Fire officials are "proceeding with caution," county officials said. "This is being treated as a HazMat situation." The cause of the derailment is under investigation. ABC News' Matt Claiborne and Bonnie Mclean contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
CBS News
12 minutes ago
- CBS News
Chicago nonprofit Ignite helping youth experiencing homelessness rebuild their lives
Chicago students are getting ready to go back to school soon, but if you don't have a home, getting good grades is even tougher. A Chicago nonprofit called Ignite gives kids experiencing homelessness the foundation to launch their future lives. Using an orange mobile outreach van, Ignite travels around the city to bring services to young people experiencing homelessness. "Anything from information on what we can to for them to our safe sex kits to our hygiene packs to our food. We can pass out all those things right here," said Ignite director of outreach and prevention Chineze Mogbo. It's a way to reach kids who need help, especially since they say it's often difficult to tell their friends, teachers, or others in their lives that they're struggling with homelessness. "We help them move from survival to resilience," said Ignite president and CEO Stephanie Piccirilli. "We work with them one on one to find out what they need to rebuild their life and move forward so that they can grow into a young adult and thrive." Ignite started in 1976, after Congress passed a law providing funding to help runaway youth. "We were able to be funded through that act, and start out doing street outreach. We had an office in the Greyhound bus station," Piccirilli said. The organization has grown a lot since then, now helping around 700 young people every year, and not just with housing. "Ignite's a place where you can be very comfortable. … It feels like a normal environment for teenagers and young adults," said Saniah Perry, who attended the Sparks program at Ignite, which helps people prepare for their careers. "Not only did it give me a job, but it gave me friends. Last summer, when I was working at Sparks, I was very reserved and I didn't really want to leave my house … and Sparks gave me an outlet to go outside every day to talk to people, to learn more about other people, and not just only be inside yourself." After being part of Ignite, Perry and others like her are prepared for a brighter future.
CBS News
14 minutes ago
- CBS News
Vice president of USW Local 1557 recounts his experience after Clairton plant explosion
The vice president of United Steelworkers Local 1557 spoke with KDKA-TV on Tuesday, one day after a deadly explosion at the U.S. Steel Clairton plant killed two people and left 10 injured. Richard Tikey has worked here at the Clairton plant for 27 years. He told KDKA-TV that he's seen a lot of explosions in that time, but none as devastating as Monday's. He says the only thing on his mind right now is getting the injured better and home to thier families. "I got down there as fast as I could get down there," Tikey said, recounting the incident. Tikey knew every person who worked inside the building where the explosion happened. Not only are they co-workers, he says, they're friends, making his job that much harder. "Me being the vice president, I had it in my mind that I was not leaving until they were all counted for," Tikey said. Tikey works on the south end of the plant, about a half mile away from where the explosion happened. He says he wasn't sure at first what had happened, but he knew it was bad because it shook the building he was in. When he found out, he ran to check on his friends. "It looked like Russia hit Ukraine, a building in Ukraine with a missile," Tikey described. Tikey stayed until 9 p.m., until the last victim was accounted for. He helped place the man on a stretcher and into the ambulance. He shared with KDKA-TV a moment, he says, that will stay with him forever. "I was holding the door open while they were cutting his pants, and the doctor was checking him, and they handed me his shoes. I put his shoes on a cement pillar down there. After the day was done at 9:00 last night, as I was in the shower house, I took my boots off and put them in my locker. I thought, 'My boots are going in my locker, but his were still sitting back there.' I took that home with me. That bothered me." Tikey says he spoke with several workers Tuesday morning who voiced their concern for the victims. They want them to get better and get home to their families. Tikey says steel is strong, but so are the people. He said they'll get through this together, but they need answers.
