2 Killed in Explosion at West Virginia Industrial Plant

May 30, 2017

An explosion at a West Virginia industrial plant has killed two people and injured a third.

Officials say the explosion was reported last week at Midland Resource Recovery, a company based in Ontario, Canada, that odorizes natural gas.

The U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration said owner Jan Strmen and employee Justin Marsh were using bleach and preparing a tank for cleaning at the facility outside Philippi when it exploded shortly before noon May 24.

Another employee was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which examines the root causes of chemical incidents, announced Friday it was also looking into the incident.

Board spokeswoman Hillary Cohen said that a team was headed to the Midland Resource Recovery facility. According to information from OSHA, the plant cleans and decommissions old odorant tanks from gas companies.

The company has declined to comment.

Topics Virginia West Virginia

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