Police in a North Carolina town says one person is dead after a plant explosion.
Authorities in Nash County told local media outlets that a fire tank exploded at Pennco, Inc., on U.S. Highway 264 in Middlesex at around 9:30 a.m. on Friday. The fire marshal said two people were on duty at the time of the explosion. Neither person was identified.
Middlesex is 33 miles (53 kilometers) east of Raleigh.
Pennco manufactures wastewater treatment chemicals. The cause of the explosion wasn’t immediately known.
WRAL-TV in Raleigh reported the explosion could be heard and felt in nearby communities.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Topics North Carolina
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Good Times for US P/C Insurers May Not Last; Auto Challenges Ahead 
AIG’s Zaffino to Step Down as CEO as Aon’s Andersen Steps In 
Alliant Latest to Sue Howden US Over Alleged ‘Smash-and-Grab’ Poaching 
Howden Buys M&A Insurance Broker Atlantic Group in US Expansion 
