Authorities reported that the Monday morning explosion at the AU.S. Steel mill south of Pittsburgh killed one worker, trapped many others under debris, and injured dozens more.
Allegheny County officials said that at least two people were still missing after the explosion at Clairton Coke Works on the Monongahela River, in addition to the individual who was killed. Local authorities warned that a search and rescue operation was still underway at the scene.
Just before 11 a.m., Allegheny County Emergency Services reported that a fire had begun at the plant, which is located roughly 10 miles south of downtown Pittsburgh. Numerous ambulances responded to the scene of the explosion, which injured dozens of people.
My chest trembled. “We saw the dark smoke rising from the steel mill after it shook the building,” Zachary Buday, a construction worker, told local ABC affiliate WTAE. Connect the dots. It seems as though something negative occurred.
People within a mile of the plant were advised by the county health department to stay inside and refrain from breathing in outside air. Soot and sulfur dioxide levels, according to county officials, are still below federal limits for unhealthy air.
Pittsburgh’s primary business is no longer steelmaking, but the Clayton Coke Works is one of four U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania that collectively employ thousands of people.
According to Mayor Richard Lattanzis, the mill plays a significant role in Clairton. Simply put, Clairton is having a bad day.
After extensive diplomatic and political negotiations, the $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japanese business Nippon Steel was completed in June.
Clairton Coke Works has experienced issues in the past; in February, a minor explosion occurred inside the plant as a result of a buildup of flammable debris.Two employees were momentarily hospitalized in that incident, but they were not permanently hurt.
