Around 100 residents and workers were evacuated after fire broke out in a waste plant sparking a chemical alert.

The blaze in a number of large oil drums caused plumes of black smoke visible from miles around as it spread through Arrow Environmental Services in West Bromwich.

Acrid smoke shot into the air from the fire, which started at around 1.45pm in part of the premises used to recycle waste oil.

See more pictures in our gallery to your right
Staff at the firm in Kelvin Way faced a huge clean-up today as oil had flooded from the building onto land outside. The cause is not yet known but it is suspected the hot weather may be to blame. Workers at the scene described how the flames escalated in seconds and a series of bangs followed.



Around 35 firefighters tackled the blaze at its height and hazardous materials officers were drafted in. Firefighter Steve Husbands said crews faced a fight to stop the waste oil entering water courses. Also an oxygen cylinder exploded, causing a fireball, and about seven other cylinders had to be removed amid fears they would also blow up.

Arrow declined to comment.

Fayetteville Police said Thursday afternoon that a propane blast that injured four employees with the Fayetteville SwampDogs organization was caused by a leak in an LP gas line inside the building.

Four people were injured in the explosion at the J.P. Riddle Stadium on Legion Road.

An explosion at Arens Controls Facility in northwest suburban Arlington Heights in Chicago, has left one person dead and ten injured.
Firefighters and police responded to Arens in the 3600 block of North Kennicott Avenue around 9 a.m. for what they considered at the time a chemical explosion. About 50 employees were evacuated and were left standing outside for more than three hours after the explosion this morning at the factory in Chicago.
Seven workers were injured and three police officers, two from Arlington Heig

hts and one from Buffalo Grove departments, were treated for respiratory problems.
The Arlington Heights Fire Department have reported the injuries were caused by a malfunctioning machine. Police have confirmed it was likely an industrial accident because there is no visible damage on the outside of the factory building.
Arlington Heights Fire Chief Glenn Erickson said in a statement, “The chemical they were using was a diluted form of potassium hydroxide. At this point in time we don’t know what role the chemical had in the accident, if it had any role at all.”
Firefighters and police are still investigating what exactly caused the explosion at the Arlington Heights Factory in Chicago.
Mary Capelli-Schellpfeffer, MD, medical director of occupational health at Loyola University Health System said, “After an industrial accident, even if someone can ‘walk away’ without visible injuries, it doesn’t mean there aren’t health concerns. Even after authorities have determined the cause of today’s explosion, the uncertainty and worry about the tragedy can continue for several weeks or months. It’s important during this time to help employees and neighbors to stay focused to limit additional injuries.”

While a researcher fractionally distilled the primary phosphine (C6F5)PH2, which was synthesized by the reduction of (C6F5)PCl2 with an excess of lithium aluminum hydride (LAH), the distillation apparatus containing the phosphine detonated. Fortunately, because the researcher was wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and working in front of a sliding blast shield, only minor injuries resulted from the explosion.

The researcher was following a literature prep for the synthesis of (C6F5)PH2 (Z. Naturforschg.1966, 21b, 920), wherein (C6F5)PCl2 was reduced with an excess (2.1 M equiv based on Li) of LAH. After the reaction was completed, the slurry was filtered and ether was evaporated from the filtrate, yielding an oil and some LAH. This mixture was then extracted into hexanes to remove the remaining LAH, and the resulting phosphine/hexanes mixture was fractionally distilled under N2. After the hexanes were fractionally distilled away and the distillation apparatus was at approximately 50 °C, the apparatus detonated.

The source of the incident is being investigated. Work with this molecule and similar compounds should be conducted carefully until the exact cause of this incident is determined and reported.

Two workers were injured and at least three vehicles were gutted in a major fire that broke out at Chandigarh distilleries and bottling plant in Banur on Monday. Fire tenders from Mohali, Rajpura, Dera Bassi, Mandi Gobindgarh and Chandigarh took nearly three hours to control the blaze.

The fire started with a blast while spirit was being siphoned into a tanker on the factory premises at around 3.15pm. Within seconds, the fire engulfed two other tankers and a truck holding liquor. The blaze also engulfed an office in the nearby building and a chemical lab.

Sources said around 150 workers were on duty at the time of the incident, who got frightened and some even jumped from the first floor of the building to save their lives.

Reports said supervisor Karamchand of Shakti Nagar in Dera Bassi, who was standing on the tanker to supervise siphoning of spirit, suffered severe burns. A worker Golu fractured his leg as he jumped from the first floor.

DOVER, Ohio - Authorities in Dover have reopened Interstate 77 and said it's safe for residents in the area to go outside following a chemical reaction at the Dover Chemical Corporation.

I-77 north and southbound, from Strasburg to New Philadelphia, reopened at 2 p.m. on Monday after being shutdown around 9:45 a.m.

Around 9:20 a.m., a reactor overheated inside the plant causing a vapor release that resulted in off-gassing of antifreeze.

Reverse 911 calls went out to about 100 residents shortly after the incident, advising them to stay inside and close their windows.

"No employees were injured. We are in the process of cooling the reactor, which appears to be working," said Dover Chemical Corporation President Dwain Colvin. This means there's no longer an explosion threat.

Two drivers along I-77 were taken to nearby hospitals after being overcome by the fumes, complaining of respiratory problems.

Chemical workers weren't affected by the plume because the off-gassing occurred outside the plant. An alarm sounded alerting them of the problem.

PORT ALLEN, LA (WAFB) -
One person was injured, families were evacuated and US 190 is shut down at Bueche Road between Port Allen and Erwinville due to a chemical fire.

Acetylene Fact Sheet
Acetylene is a colorless and odorless gas. Commercial grade Acetylene may have an Ether-like or garlic-like odor. It is used for welding, cutting, brazing and soldering, and in making other chemicals. Click here for more information.

The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) has activated its Crisis Action Team (CAT) because of the fire at the Air Liquide facility.

The fire is at the Air Liquide Specialty Gases plant. It happened around 10:30 a.m. Emergency officials, along with DEQ and a hazardous material team are on the scene to control the fire.

Late Monday afternoon, firemen, company officials and State Police technicians were able to enter the hot zone in order to inspect several cylinders, which were not damaged by the fire.  Several hundred tanks were still on fire.  State Police Air Support assisted technicians in inspecting the fire from the air before crews could enter the site.

One person was taken to the hospital with injuries to their eyes. That person's identity has not yet been released. The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office says two tanks of acetylene exploded, however, the public relations office for Air Liquide in Houston says the tanks were empty and waiting to be filled with acetylene.

DALTON, GA. (WRCB)  --  More than two dozen Dalton employees were taken to a local hospital Monday for decontamination after an explosion occurred at the MFG Chemical plant on Callahan Dr.  

"I thought it was a pressure valve releasing," says International Coatings employee, Darrin Locke. "Heard a loud, very loud whistle."

International Coatings sits across the street from the MFG Chemical plant. Employees tell Channel 3 the explosion happened just before 9 Monday morning.

"We saw just some color in the sky. Of course we all made a mad dash for the backside of the building, not sure what was going to take place at that time," Locke says.  

"We have an over-pressured rupture of a reactor," says Dalton Fire Chief Bruce Satterfield.  

"It blew a hole in the roof of the building," adds Bruce Frazier, with the Dalton Police Department.  

The chemical that was being made during the time of the explosion is called coagulant 129. Its a substance used for water treatment and can cause skin irritation or respiratory problems. "Its not the nastiest stuff in the world but you wouldn't want it on your skin or anything," Frazier says.  

Nearly 50 employees from the surrounding area were taken to a local hospital for decontamination. Even a few from International Coatings came forward with symptoms after we talked to them.

"I've got a couple with some irritation to their throats, stuff like that," says Locke.  

All told, 47 people were brought to the Hamilton Medical Center for decontamination.

A tanker conveying cylinders filled with inflammable chemical exploded on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in the Shango- Tedo area of Lagos Friday morning.

An eyewitness alleged that a woman might have been killed in the explosion.

The fire service appears to have been prompt on the scene but there is no confirmation on casualties even though eye-witnesses confirm deaths.

Traffic was at a standstill.

NEW CUMBERLAND - The small home at a rural crossroads in central Hancock County is where James Stanley lived and worked for many years. On Thursday, it's where he met a tragic death.

Stanley, who was in his 60s, was working on a project in his driveway with an acetylene torch Thursday afternoon when he was killed by an explosion, officials say.

"It was a bad accident - just one of those freak things that you don't see very often," Hancock County Sheriff Mike White said. "Very unfortunate."

The likely cause of death was trauma and burns from the explosion, according to the sheriff, but officials are still awaiting a ruling from the state medical examiner's office.

White said he knew Stanley as a retired man who still did work on the side with excavating equipment. Several small bulldozers and backhoes sit on his property at the remote intersection of Ballantyne and Shady Glen roads. A lone pine tree stands in his front yard.

Burn marks from the fire that claimed his life can be seen on the ground outside his garage. Police tape no longer surrounds the property, but the state fire marshal's office is continuing its investigation.

"We're not sure exactly what he was doing (with the torch)," White said. "He was cutting something."

Either flames or sparks from the torch ignited a 55-gallon drum that Stanley was standing over while he was working, White said. The drum was sealed and empty, but investigators are conducting tests to see whether vapors were the ignition source.

An explosion at the North Central West Virginia Airport burned one man so bad that he was flown to West Penn Hospital Wednesday morning.
 
Bridgeport Police say that two KCI Aviation employees were servicing an oxygen tank on a personal aircraft around 8:45 a.m. when something malfunctioned and caused a chemical explosion.

Barwani (MP), May 16 (PTI) Two persons were killed and 11 others were injured today in an explosion in a truck carrying chemicals at Balsamund Check Post, police said. The truck was on its way to Indore from Mumbai. The explosion took place as the driver had parked it at the post and gone out for clearing paper work. Thirteen persons, standing around the truck, were injured seriously. Deepak Pancholi and one Pal died. The rest were admitted to Barwani hospital, police said adding that cause of the fire was not yet known.

LORTON, Va. (WUSA) -- The Fairfax County Fire Department has brought a fire under control that injured three people at a business in the Lorton area of the county. The injuries were described as minor.

Firefighters got the call about 10:45 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a fire and explosion at 10440 Furnace Road. A spokesperson says the fire broke out at a chemical lab. The site houses several businesses including a Five Guys, Stuart Kitchens and American Systems Corp.

Renee Stilwell with Fairfax County Fires says there was a malfunction in an air-handling unit at the lab  and no chemical was involved. The business however, does handle what was described as a "petroleum based product" so a hazmat unit was dispatched to the scene.

NIXON, Texas (AP) - Emergency officials say a fiery explosion at an energy company site in South Texas has left two workers with burns.

The Gonzales County Sheriff's Office says the explosion happened early Wednesday at a Vann Energy location near Nixon.

A sheriff's dispatcher says the workers were hurt during the fracturing process known as fracking. Chemically treated water is used to crack shale and release natural gas.

The dispatcher says both men suffered second-degree burns and have been airlifted to a San Antonio hospital. Their names and further details on their conditions weren't immediately available.

The cause of the accident has not been determined. Some nearby homes were evacuated for about two hours, as a precaution.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) -- No injuries are reported in an explosion at a biodiesel plant in Mason City.

The Globe Gazette in Mason City says the explosion happened late Tuesday afternoon at the Soy Energy plant on the city's southwest side. The newspaper says fire trucks and firefighters are on the west side of the plant, but no damage or smoke was visible. The explosion was reported about 6 p.m.

The fire department had no immediate details on what happened. Soy Energy produces biodiesel from soybeans and corn stillage.

LSB Industries said its El Dorado chemical facility in Arkansas suffered significant damage to the DSN concentrated nitric acid plant and surrounding equipment when a reactor exploded Tuesday morning.

There were no injuries to employees or anyone in the El Dorado community, the company said, adding that it believes there was no environmental release.

LSB is investigating the cause of the event and the extent of the damages, it said.

LSB said it does not have an estimate on the extent of the damages or the repair time. However, the El Dorado facility is out of operation at the present time due to the damage.

Lightning appparently ignited a fuel tank at Dow Chemical Co. in Croydon early this morning, touching off a three-alarm blaze that sent a large orange ball of flame into the predawn sky.

Firefighters from around the area rushed to the large plant at Routes 413 and State Road in Bucks County, less than a mile from the Burlington-Bristol bridge. The county's hazardous waste material team was also called to the scene,

The fire erupted at about 4 a.m. A large black plume of smoke extended high into the sky above the orange flames. Firefighters battled the blaze not only with water, but with foam.

Robert Miller, 49, of Linden Street in Bristol, said he was awoken by a large noise and was not sure if it was thunder or something else.

"The minute it stopped" he said, referring to the thunder or explosion, "the fire alarm went off immediately. The sirens went off like crazy - like I've never heard them before."

HOLLYWOOD — A four-block stretch of A1A in Hollywood reopened Monday night after being closed much of the day while HazMat units and the bomb squad tried to remove a chemical-filled 55-gallon drum that washed ashore over the weekend.

The day-long effort to remove the drum became complicated in the afternoon when the drum broke apart and appeared to detonate, spewing white smoke, Hollywood fire department officials said. The Broward Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad was called.

The mysterious drum was finally carted away for proper disposal before 9 p.m. and the roadway reopened.

What chemical the drum contained is unknown pending test results.

"People drop off a little homemade explosive device in the front yard, yeah it's kind of scary ," she said, flipping through pictures on her camera.

Patsy Brown and her husband woke up to find the remnants of a bottle bomb outside their front door on Mother's Day.

"As you can see here, the water bottle just exploded, and the foil exploded in about a 15-20 foot radius," she said, showing us a melted bottle and foil pellets.

The bomb consists of a plastic bottle filled with an unknown chemical liquid and aluminum foil. The concoction is commonly known as a Works Bomb. It exploded while the family was away from home on Saturday night.

GUANGZHOU, CHINA (BNO NEWS) -- A large explosion ripped through a steel plant in southern China on Monday afternoon, killing nine people and injuring several others, state-run media reported.

The explosion occurred at around 3:48 p.m. local time at a plant operated by Shaoguan Steel Co. Ltd. in the municipality of Shaoguan in China's southern province of Guangdong. It happened as workers from China MCC5 Group Corp. were installing facilities at the location.

The state-run Xinhua news agency cited local government officials as saying that eight people died at the scene, while a ninth victim died late on Monday evening. Six workers were injured, including one person who remains seriously injured.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but investigations have already been launched.

The rapid economic growth in China, in combination with poor safety measures, frequently result in deadly industrial accidents. In late February, thirteen people were killed and 43 others were injured when a blast ripped through a chemical plant in China's northern Hebei province.

UNION TOWNSHIP | Authorities said a home in the Shorewood Forest subdivision was damaged Saturday after two household chemical bombs exploded on the lawn.

A 56-year-old woman told Porter County Sheriff's Department investigators that she and her husband were awoken by a "thud" outside their home about 12:30 a.m. in the 400 block of Westchester Circle.

About an hour later, they heard another noise they thought was possibly their cat knocking something off a table. The woman said they looked around the house, didn't see anything abnormal and went back to bed.

That morning, though, they discovered a window facing the front yard was shattered and areas of their lawn had burn marks next to two plastic bottles.

Authorities said they believe one of the bottles was thrown at the window and and it appears both bottles were used to create a bomb-like device using household cleaners.

Officers said the family initially wondered if they had been targeted because of their Muslim faith. On Monday, Sgt. Larry LaFlower, public information officer with the sheriff's department, said investigators found nothing leading them to believe the vandalism was a possible hate crime.

FORT COLLINS - A PhD student was injured in an explosion at a lab in the CSU chemistry building this morning while working with fluorine potassium chloride and water, according to Colorado State University spokesman Mike Hooker.

A vial of liquid exploded, and the student was taken to Medical Center of the Rockies for treatment.

"He was cut by the glass from that vial," Hooker said, adding that he hasn't yet confirmed other injuries. 

The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m., and the scene was deemed to be safe enough not to stage an evacuation. CSU Environmental Health Services cleaned up the chemicals.

Hooker said he didn't yet know what occurred with the compounds to cause the explosion.

VISTA, Calif. -- An explosion at a spa manufacturing factory blew a 20x20 foot hole in the roof of a Vista business around 10:30 p.m. Thursday.
The explosion occurred inside a container at Watkins Manufacturing Inc., located at 1280 Park Center Drive.
According to 10News, investigators aren't sure what caused the explosion, but the 8,000 gallon container filled with chemicals was cleaned early Thursday and it was that container that exploded late Thursday night.
When Carlsbad and Vista fire units arrived, they had toxic smoke wafting from the remains of the building, as well as water running from the building to a storm drain at 100 gallons per minute.
Fire officials called Camp Pendleton HAZMAT, as well as San Diego County Health, and then pulled their units across the street to a safe distance fearing another explosion.
No one was inside the building at the time and no injuries were reported.

INVESTIGATIONS have begun into what went wrong during a science experiment that left two Tumbarumba High School students with facial burns yesterday.
A boy and girl, both 15, suffered superficial burns after an explosion involving a Bunsen burner about 9.30am.

The pair were in a stable condition at Wagga Base Hospital last night.

NSW Education Department spokesman Grant Hatch said the explosion happened during a year 9, period one class.

The students were undertaking a practical science lesson supervised by an experienced teacher, he said.

A crucible being heated on a Bunsen burner by a group of three students exploded, injuring two students.

The teacher and other staff immediately applied first aid until paramedics arrived.

The Southcare helicopter was called but was not needed.

Mr Hatch said instructions for the experiment were provided on the board and in a textbook.

Measured chemicals were provided to each group by the teacher.

Mr Hatch did not know what chemicals were involved.

The school was continuing investigations into the cause. Police were also on the scene.

“Inquiries are continuing but unless there’s some kind of criminal activity the investigation will be handed to WorkCover,” Albury Insp John Wadsworth said.

A fire investigator and WorkCover inspector were at the school yesterday afternoon conducting a preliminary investigation into the explosion.

Mr Hatch said students and teachers would be provided counselling.

He said the school was not severely damaged by the explosion but that the lab had been shut to allow for a clean-up.

GOBLES - A rural Gobles man is lucky to be alive after his suspected meth lab exploded Sunday, burning him severely, Van Buren County Sheriff's officers said.

The man, 52, is in stable condition in a medically induced coma at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo following the 5:23 a.m. meth fire, Sgt. Dan Abbott said.

Police did not identify the man because no arrest warrant has yet been issued.

But a neighbor identified him as John "Johnny" Uminn.

His mother drove him to Bronson after the fire and explosion in the garage at 27242 12th Ave. in Pine Grove Township, and Uminn told hospital staff what had happened.

Police said they then obtained a search warrant and found the suspected meth lab and lab components in the garage. Uminn's mother told police her son was so badly burned that skin was falling off his hands, and police found some of his fingernails in the garage.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- 
An explosion at a Volusia County business early Tuesday may have been caused by an ammonia leak, investigators said.
It happened around 3:30 a.m. at a Reddy Ice in the Airport Industrial Park, just south of New Smyrna Municipal Airport.

Hazardous materials crews shut down the industrial complex as they cleaned up the scene. The complex has since reopened.
According to New Smyrna Beach fire Chief David McAllister, a police officer was conducting his regular beat check Tuesday morning, when he said he smelled the unmistakable odor of ammonia.

An explosion at a South Seattle gas processing facility Monday afternoon caused a lot of noise and little else.

Just before 1:30 p.m., Seattle firefighters were called to the Airgas facility at 7700 14th Avenue South following an explosion there.

Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore said the explosion occurred at an acetylene handing facility inside a room built to contain explosions. Six employees inside the building were uninjured.

Firefighters cleared a larger area around the facility following the explosion while they checked for gas leaks. The explosion damaged nearby windows and the building itself, but no injuries were reported.

SIKESTON, Mo.  — Sikeston Public Safety is reporting an active Haz-Mat incident at Sikeston’s Board of Municipal Utilities Power Plant.
Around 4:30am Sunday, the Sikeston BMU Power Plant reported a trailer containing hydrochloric acid exploded at their facility.  The catastrophic failure of this container resulted in a 7,500 gallon spill.  Sikeston DPS immediately dispatched their Haz-Mat team to the site to evaluate the incident.
It was learned that the spill was confined to the immediate area of the incident and no one was injured during the release.  It isn’t known at this time what caused the pressurized container to fail, but we know that fire was not the cause.  This type of chemical release requires a relatively short evacuation distance, which fell inside the property of the BMU facility.  At no time was anyone outside the property lines of the power plant in any danger.  Residents who live nearby the Sikeston Power Plant are completely free of any danger.  In addition the Power plant did not suffer any significant damage.
According to BMU, this incident has had no effect on their operation.  Every year BMU has a planned outage to conduct yearly maintenance at their facility.  The Power Plant was currently going through this annual maintenance when this incident occurred.  As a result, this incident did not disrupt their service.

A LARGE blaze at a chemical factory in eastern Thailand killed 12 people, injured more than 100 and spewed toxic smoke into the air, the health ministry said today.


Hundreds of residents had to be evacuated after the fire, which was caused by an explosion at the factory in Rayong province, sent a plume of black acrid smoke into the sky yesterday.

Firefighters quelled the blaze but health officials continued to monitor air quality amid concerns poisonous fumes may still seep into the air.

A health ministry statement said 12 people had died in the explosion and ensuing fire while 129 were injured, mainly suffering burns.

The majority of the victims are believed to be factory workers.

"Doctors said 12 were killed in yesterday's explosion but we can only confirm 10 so far," Map Ta Phut police Lieutenant Colonel Charoen Vititkornkul said.

"Police forensic teams are searching for clues to what happened and we are also looking for any more bodies," he said, adding police were ready to evacuate more local residents if necessary.

Police say two students have been taken into custody after two chemical-filled bottles exploded at a Memphis high school.
Memphis police said in a news release Thursday night that two 18-year-old students of Craigmont High School were charged with aggravated assault, felony reckless endangerment and possession of a prohibited weapon.
The high school was evacuated just before noon in what school authorities called a prank explosion. Officials say an assistant principal with asthma went to the hospital after inhaling smoke produced by the mixture. Police said a bomb threat had been called in to the school beforehand.
Shortly after, another bottle exploded about 15 miles away outside a Kroger grocery store. Kroger spokesman Joe Bell says a customer accidentally left behind a bottle with dry ice. No one was injured.

A SCIENCE teacher suffered burns after a chemical exploded during a demonstration to pupils at Garstang Community Academy.

The teacher was conducting a experiment in a science laboratory using silver nitrate when the chemical flared up, leaving her with burns to her face and hands.

Paramedics were called to the scene at 10.52am yesterday and were joined by 10 firefighters from Garstang and Lancaster and police.

The 49-year-old woman was taken to the Royal Preston Hospital. No pupils were hurt.

There was no fire for crews to extinguish, but there was damage to a desk and a wall.

EDDING, Calif. -- A methamphetamine lab is blamed for an apartment explosion in Redding early Wednesday morning.
It happened in 1400 block of Orange Avenue in Redding about 12:30 a.m.
One man suffered severe burns and was taken from the scene by ambulance. He was treated at Mercy Medical Center.
"He had skin and plastic hanging off of him," said Trenton Duncan, who helped pull the burned man out of the burning apartment. "He was pretty bad."

STURGIS – Two police officers had to be treated after a meth lab explosion.

Sturgis police were originally called to a fight at an apartment on East Hatch Street early Wednesday morning. They found two people with injuries and a blood trail to another apartment with smoke coming from under the door.

When the two officers entered, they were exposed to meth fumes. They were treated and released for illness and symptoms from the exposure.

Fire personnel were called in for hazmat containment and to decontaminate one of the suspects. Police arrested both suspects on meth charges.

Two students were taken to Christchurch Hospital after an explosion at Canterbury University.

Police, St John and the Fire Service rushed to the University of Canterbury's Rutherford building after reports of a "small explosion" at 12.36pm, a Fire Service spokesman said.

Science vice-chancellor Professor Paul Fleming said a male research student was working in a laboratory on the sixth floor of the Rutherford building when a flask exploded.

"He has some injuries to his hand," he said.

A female student in the lab suffered neck injuries.

A St John spokesman said the two students were taken to Christchurch Hospital with minor injuries.
...
Burford did not know what type of chemical was involved, but there was no risk to people in the area.

CHILLICOTHE — Monday started off busy for Chillicothe firefighters who responded to two nearly back-to-back fires.

The first call came in just before midnight at the Sherwin-Williams store at 170 N. Bridge St.

“When they first pulled up, they had fire coming out of the northside door. As they were doing a walk around, the roof collapsed,” said Interim Fire Chief Jeff Creed.

Popping noises could be heard in the minutes of the fire, presumably from cans of paint exploding. As of 2:30 a.m., Bridge Street remained closed between Riverside and East Water streets. However, Creed anticipated the street to be open for the morning rush hour.

Chandigarh, April 30: At least four workers were killed and 12 others received burn injuries Monday after a chemical factory caught fire in Punjab's industrial town of Lalru, 30 km from here, police said.

The fire started following a blast in a reactor of the factory, a police officer said.

According to police, four bodies have been recovered so far from the factory.

At least 12 workers, who had received burn injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals. The seriously injured ones were referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh's Sector 32, the officer added.

Fire tenders arrived from the industrial town of Derabassi and other places, but it took some time to control the fire, police said.

A portable methamphetamine lab exploded in a man’s pants as he scuffled with a state trooper who chased after him when he noticed an unusual chemical smell.

David Williams, 54, was caught with the homemade device - also known as the 'shake and bake' method - after an Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer pulled over the SUV he was travelling in for speeding.

While issuing a speeding fine to the driver the officer sniffed a suspicious chemical odor and began to question Williams.

But Williams made a run for it and the officer reported that the meth was leaking down Williams’ leg as he tried to escape shortly after midnight on Friday morning.

The officer gave chase and soon caught Williams. As the pair struggled the ‘active meth lab’ stashed in Williams' pants burst - covering him in the substance.

Medical personnel checked over Williams at the scene but -  despite the explosion - he was not injured.

The portable meth lab, also called the 'one pot' method, is produced in a plastic bottle.

DAYTONA BEACH -- A man was severely burned in an explosion Friday morning while making methamphetamine at a Fairway Estates house known for drug activity, police said.

The Daytona Beach Police Department at 6:50 a.m. learned Kenneth Roberts, 44, had burns and injuries consistent with chemical exposure, possibly a meth lab explosion or related fire, according Detective John Creamer, police spokesman.

Roberts' injuries were so severe he was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center to treat his burns. He was in stable condition later Friday, Creamer said.

Officers responding to 1210 Margina Ave. found the remnants of a fire consistent with materials used in the production of methamphetamine.

HICKORY, N.C. --
A plastic bottle filled with a chemical exploded in a dorm bathroom Tuesday night at Lenoir-Rhyne University in what was likely a prank that went too far.

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s security received a call at about 8:20 p.m. from one of Morgan Hall’s resident advisors. The caller said someone threw a 2-liter drink bottle with a chemical substance through an open window of a bathroom on the second floor of the building, according to a report filed by security officer Kevin Ripley.

When Hickory police began investigating, it became apparent the bottle was placed in the bathroom by one of the people involved in the incident, said Thurman Whisnant with the Hickory Police Department.

“It would not have been possible for it to have been thrown in,” Whisnant said.

Student Maggie Brown was in Morgan Hall when the bottle exploded in the empty bathroom.

“I was walking up the stairs, and it sounded like a boom,” she said. “It sounded like an explosive.”

Ripley told the advisor to clear the hallway of students until he arrived and could examine the bathroom. When Ripley opened the bathroom door he was overwhelmed.

Workplace safety experts are highlighting the dangers of poor housekeeping in sawmills in the wake of a deadly explosion at a Prince George sawmill on Monday.

The cause of the blast has not been determined but high accumulations of dust, which can be extremely combustible when a spark is present, were found inside the Lakeland Mill sawmill — something University of Toronto workplace safety expert Graeme Norval says shouldn’t occur.

“It’s poor housekeeping — you get piles of dust on the floor, or on the pipes, it’s dirty, the dust gets into the air,” said Norval, a chemical engineer who teaches courses in factory safety. “Once you get the dust in the air it’s like having a flammable gas mixture, and it just finds a source of ignition and up it goes.”

He said it’s just “common sense” that management should be inspecting vigilantly — “this is not new or novel.”

Two workers were killed and nine remain seriously injured from the blast that tore through the sawmill Monday. Two dozen workers had been in the factory’s lunchroom in a training session at the time.

ORTSMOUTH — An employee of the Redhook Brewery was fatally wounded Tuesday when a pressurized beer keg exploded at the company's facility in Portsmouth.

The man was rushed to Portsmouth Regional Hospital by ambulance after he was struck in the head and chest by pieces of the keg, according to Assistant Portsmouth Fire Chief Steve Achilles.

Redhook employees found the worker unresponsive in the loading dock area at approximately 7:06 a.m., a short time after the explosion.

Achilles said the worker, who is believed to be in his 20s or early 30s, had been filling kegs with air as part of a cleaning process that removes residual beer from the kegs. He said firefighters responded within three minutes after receiving a 911 call from the employees.

VINA, Ala.- One man was injured in a house fire investigators believe was caused by a meth lab explosion.

Vina fire and Hodges/Vina police responded to residence on hwy 19 in Vina around 6 p.m. Monday. When they arrived emergency first responders found 33-year-old Johny Bell with possible chemical burns.

Bell was transported to Eliza Coffee Hospital where he was treated for possible chemical burns and turned over to law enforcement on drug drug charges.

YAMAGUCHI (Jiji-Daily Yomiuri)--One male employee died and 11 were injured at a chemical plant in an explosion in Waki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in the hours just before dawn on Sunday.

The blast occurred at about 2:15 a.m. in one of the plants at Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.'s Iwakuni-Otake factory, causing a fire. According to the prefectural government and other sources, the explosion affected about 410 households in Waki and Iwakuni, both in the prefecture, as well as neighboring Otake, Hiroshima Prefecture, breaking residents' windows. Police reported nine residents were injured.

Shota Sunakawa, 22, a plant employee, died in the explosion, according to Iwakuni Police Station. No noxious gas is believed to have been produced despite the fire that broke out, police said. The Yamaguchi prefectural police are questioning plant officials on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.

According to the company, two employees near the explosion site were seriously injured and five others were harmed. Four employees of another company sustained minor injuries.

Plant manager Shigeru Hara said the accident occurred at a plant manufacturing resorcin, a material for making an adhesive agent commonly used in tire production. According to Hara, after a facility responsible for supplying steam to the factory unexpectedly stopped, operations at about 70 percent of its plants were suddenly halted.

OSAKA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- One people was killed and 11 others were injured when an explosion rocked a chemical plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture in southwestern Japan early Sunday, local press reported.

The explosion occurred at around 2:00 a.m. local time at a plant belonging to leading Japanese company Mitsui Chemicals , killing a 22-year-old worker and injuring 11 other workers at the site.

Glasses of windows of some 100 houses near the plant were broken due to the explosion, the report said, adding that firefighters are still trying to extinguish the fire caused by the blast

PIKE TWP., Ohio — A massive blaze at an oil company took firefighters six hours to get under control Thursday and will require an extensive environmental cleanup.
...
The fire started about 11 a.m. as R.D. Holder crews loaded a semi-tanker, said company owner Bob Holder.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but King believed it ignited while workers transferred a fluid from one tank to another. It was not immediately known what type of fluid was being transferred.

After about 45 minutes, firefighters ordered first responders and company employees back as the blaze spread. Transformers exploded and electric lines fell on the scene about 12:45 p.m., forcing firefighters back even more. And as the fire spread, the building began to collapse.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A 25-year-old man suffered burns after a house explosion in Louisville's Butchertown neighborhood.
According to the Louisville Fire Department, the injured man was responsible for the explosion.

Louisville firefighters found fire and haze on the upper floor and outside they discovered structural damage to the back of the building. Because of the volatile chemicals involved in meth production, firefighters initially backed out of the building, which houses four apartment units.

“We started treating it as a meth lab situation,” said Louisville Fire Department Capt. Salvador Melendez.

After further investigating, they discovered it wasn't a meth lab, but was instead a marijuana-drying operation. Officials said more than a pound of marijuana was discovered.

CLARK COUNTY -- HAZMAT crews are cleaning up after a major fire at a fuel storage facility in Pike Township.

Investigators say the fire started with an explosion during a fuel transfer from a truck. The cause of that explosion is not yet known.

Some nearby houses were evacuated while fire fighters battled the flames, and other residents were advised to remain in their homes because of heavy smoke. All restrictions were lifted by Thursday evening.

An Arlington Heights man was burned and a firefighter was injured in a Wednesday night house fire that exploded in the man’s basement, but officials said their injuries could have been much worse.

The man was able to escape the smoky basement after chemical fumes exploded in his face, and firefighters pulled out of the building just before the first floor collapsed.

“We got out just in time,” said Arlington Heights fire Lt. Ray Loch.

Firefighters evacuated the house after a firefighter in a stairwell was thrown back during a flashover, injuring him.

The first floor collapsed shortly after firefighters went into a defensive position, Loch said.

The homeowner was working to plug a hole with a flammable material when, fire officials believe, the water heater kicked on and ignited fumes from the patching material about 5 p.m.

AMARILLO, TEXAS -- A massive fire at a warehouse in East Amarillo caused smoke to dominate the Amarillo skyline Tuesday evening.

The blaze is now under control, according to fire officials. Fortunately no injuries were reported.

At least two explosions were reported.

The location is near the area of 30th and Pierce, just off Interstate 27 where the railroad tracks run next to Llano Cemetery. The building that is engulfed is Courtesy Sign Company.

Traffic in the immediate area was stopped by officials and a house near the building was evacuated as a precaution.

The Amarillo Office of Emergency Management requested that citizens avoid the area because it is a biohazard and they believe some type of chemical was in the building. The fire burned extremely hot and quick, fire officials said.

Six people were killed in two different accidents, including an explosion that brought down a four-storey building in southern China today.

Five people were killed and four others seriously injured when a building collapsed, after an explosion in a nearby garage in east China's Fujian Province.

Rescuers are searching the debris for survivors.

The accident was triggered by an explosion that ripped through a garage and toppled a four-storey building in Daji Village of Longyan City.

The building was a residential complex owned by Shubang Coal Mine.

Sparks from a burn barrel ignited a fire at a warehouse at Graham Dairy Supply in Hempfield on Saturday morning.

Dennis Graham, who owns the company that his father started in 1941, said he was burning trash in a barrel behind his warehouse at 1581 Business Route 66 when sparks flew and caused nearby plastic containers to catch fire. Within minutes, the fire spread to the large warehouse, he said. A call was placed to emergency dispatch at about 10:30 a.m.

Fire officials at the scene said there were no reported injuries.

Black smoke billowed from the brown metal warehouse, and the smell of burning plastic filled the air as firefighters from at least nine departments doused the blaze from ladders extended above the building from nearby fire engines.

No one was in the warehouse at the time, and the fire did not spread to an adjacent office, Graham said.

He did not have an estimate of damages, but said the warehouse contained five antique tractors, plastic containers and products he sells to dairy farmers, such as cleaning supplies, iodine, wash cloths and milk filters.

Jim Barkley, who lives about a quarter mile from the supply company, said he heard two explosions and the ground shook when the fire began.

"I sat up and looked out my window and there was a big cloud of smoke," Barkley said.

Activity at the fire scene shut down a stretch of Route 66 north of Greensburg for several hours. It took firefighters more than five hours to clear the scene.

Two white inflatable medic tents were set up for firefighters to rehydrate and to allow medics to check firefighters' vital signs and later rinse any chemical residue from clothes and equipment, said Edgar Grant, manager of Penn Township Ambulance.

HOHHOT - Fire fighters on Sunday morning put out the blaze in a chemical plant in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which has caused one dead and three others injured.
The accident happened around 5 pm Saturday at Inner Mongolia 3F Fluorochemical Co Ltd. in the city of Fengzhen. A huge amount of flammable gas has been leaked after the chemical plant caught fire and exploded.
Some tanks containing VDF gas, a flammable and narcotic gas, on the ground floor of the plant's high-rise workshop caught fire. Fire fighters rescued three injured workers trapped in the flames, and evacuated other workers out of the building.

A man was burned by chlorine gas Friday morning after the chemical leaked at a pool supply store near the US 41 bypass.

According to Sarasota County Fire Department Capt. Susan Pearson, at around 10 a.m., a tank on a chlorine truck suddenly released more than 30 gallons of the gas.

“They called in the calvary, but it wasn’t really an explosion,” Pearson said.

The worker was burned by the gas, Pearson said. She was not sure if he was the driver or an employee of the store, but was taken to Venice Memorial Hospital for treatment. No one else was injured, she said.

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. (AP) — Broken Arrow police say a man was killed after a compressed natural gas tank exploded.

Police tell Tulsa television station KOTV ( http://is.gd/KZYj9k ) that the man was working on a pickup truck that had a CNG tank. Broken Arrow Police Sgt. Ed Ferguson says someone driving past a business in an industrial park spotted the man's body at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

Ferguson says it appears the tank exploded, killing the man.

Authorities say the explosion sent debris into the street and caused minor property damage.

HUDSON, NC (WBTV) - At least person was injured in a furniture finishing plant explosion Thursday afternoon.

The incident was reported just before 3 p.m. at the RPM Chemical Coatings plant on U.S. 321 in Hudson, according to emergency officials.
...
Hudson Fire Chief Tommy Courtner said the fire happened at 2:29 p.m. and firefighters had it under control in about 30 minutes.

The fire started when a worker was mixing chemicals in the paint and coating tank when there was a flash.

All 250 people working in the plant were evacuated as a precaution, Courtner said.

16-year-old boy was taken to Straub Clinic and Hospital just before noon today following a minor explosion in a Mililani High School chemistry classroom.

A teacher was conducting an experiment with methanal when a chemical flash explosion happened in the boy's face, an Emergency Medical Service spokesman said. Paramedics took the boy to the hospital in serious condition. The incident occurred at 11:35 a.m.

Fire broke out at a chemical factory and its storage godown in Kathwada GIDC near Odhav on Wednesday. The fire caused widespread damage in the factory as sudden blasts in barrels filled with solvent and other chemicals took place. The solvents are used as raw material to make varnish.

The chemical factory, in Annapurna Estate, Kathwada GIDC, that caught fire was owned by Vinay Goswami. The cause of the fire is unknown as it broke out at 2pm, and in minutes spread to the other parts of the factory. The fire officials, after being informed about the incident, reached the spot with 11 fire fighting vehicles, only to learn that 20 more fire fighting vehicles were required to douse the fire.

As the fire officials started to douse the fire with water and chemical foam, blasts in a few barrels containing chemicals took place. This caused injury to two volunteers including Firoz Shaikh and Ashish Mishra. Both were sent to Shardaben Hospital for treatment.

Two students were arrested Wednesday after Bountiful police said they detonated four small homemade bombs around the city, including one inside their high school.

Bountiful police Sgt. Gary Koehn said the detonation of the small chemical bomb at Bountiful High School was one of four that occurred about 8:20 a.m. No one was injured and no property damage was reported.

Koehn said the other three bombs, one of which went off in a church parking lot about a block away, exploded in the neighborhoods surrounding the high school.

Koehn said the students — a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man — said they tossed the bombs at random because they wanted to "hear the loud boom." He said the two didn’t intend to hurt anyone.

The bombs were constructed from several household items combined in a plastic water bottle, Koehn said. He said the homemade devices spewed hydrochloric acid and created loud bangs.

CINCINNATI - A University of Cincinnati student is in the hospital Wednesday morning after a toxic chemical explosion on campus overnight.

Police say a female student was working with a toxic chemical alone at the engineering building located at 2901 Woodside Place around 1 a.m. when a reaction caused an explosion. The student was working on a process known as aluminum etching when the reaction caused an explosion and sprayed very dangerous chemicals all over the lab and on the student.

Officials say the student wore protective gear at the time of the explosion, but the gear was still covered in the chemical. When she tried to take the protective wear off, some of chemical got on her arms and caused them to burn.

Emergency crews transported the student to the hospital where she was treated, but is being kept for observation because the chemical is slow reacting.

Warren— General Motors Co. said a Wednesday incident at a battery lab in the General Motors Technical Center that seriously injured one person was unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle, but was related to "extreme testing on a prototype battery."

Four others were evaluated after reports of a lithium battery exploding at a battery research lab at the GM Tech Center.

"We are aware of an incident this morning about 8:45 a.m. in one of the laboratories at the Alternative Energy Center at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Mich.," GM said in a release. "Fire and emergency authorities were called to the scene. The building was evacuated. All employees have been accounted for. We are aware of five employees being evaluated on scene by medical personal and only one employee is being further treated.

KARACHI: Ceiling of a chemical tank of a private company was blown off near oil installations in Keamari area on Tuesday evening, causing panic in nearby areas, KPT Fire Station sources said.

A fire extinguishing officer said excessive gas in the chemical tank of Home Protect International Company (HPI) located on Plot No 45 near PSO terminal-C, generated the huge blast.

The resultant spill of chemical caused an inferno and spread chaos in the nearby areas, he said and added that fire tenders controlled the fire by using foam.

He said no one was injured in the incident.

MANCHESTER — A man suffered second- and third-degree burns in an explosion that occurred about 1:15 p.m. today while he was attempting to saw an old fuel tank in half.

The man, identified as Edward Bishop, 33, of Oakland, was using a gas-powered saw to make the cut, according to a neighbor.

“It ignited the fumes or fuel inside it,” said Manchester Fire Chief Clarence “Bug” Cram.

Cram said Bishop, who had burns on his face and arms, was taken by ambulance and then transferred to a LifeFlight helicopter to finish the trip to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

JAFFREY - A chemical reaction between two combustible materials is believed to have caused the two-alarm fire at Monadnock Disposal Services Tuesday morning, Jaffrey Fire Chief David Chamberlain said.

Firefighters responded to the structure fire at the private waste-disposal business on Old Sharon Road at 10:16 a.m.

Shortly after firefighters arrived, there was a small explosion in the fire, Chamberlain said, so firefighters worked to douse the flames from outside the building.

The fire started on the tipping floor inside the building where workers sort the trash for disposal, Chamberlain said.

“It's hard to tell what's in the Dumpsters,” he said, adding he believes a reaction between two hazardous materials caused the fire.

“It was something that came in from a Dumpster from a facility. Again it's hard to tell because there are multiple trucks that come to dump, moving around by an operator with an excavator,” Chamberlain said. “That's the problem nowadays; something gets put into a Dumpster (and) two things — two chemicals — come together, mix together and create another chemical and then mix with another chemical.”

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department responded at 9 p.m. Saturday after a report of a chemical explosion in a park near Kempton and Overhill roads in Glen Burnie.

Fire spokesman Battalion Chief Steve Thompson said some teenagers were making "bottle bombs," possibly using a combination of drain cleaner and alcohol.

An 18-year-old woman received lacerations and burns from the explosion and was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore with serious but not life-threatening injuries, Thompson said.

A major explosion at a CPC Corp., Taiwan plant in Kaohsiung has caused local residents to worry about their safety and disrupted the local petrochemical supply chain.
The explosion, which occurred at about 3:28 a.m., sparked a fire that gutted the plant for about five hours before being extinguished.

No casualties were reported. The state-run firm also claimed that no pollution was detected because of the accident.

Operations of the plant and other areas of the same refinery complex were halted, with Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu instructing that the heaviest possible penalties be imposed on CPC over the accident.

Authorities are searching for two men who fled a suburban East Hemet home Wednesday afternoon during an inferno caused by a marijuana lab explosion.
Riverside County sheriff’s investigators determined burning marijuana chemicals set the blaze that destroyed a home at the corner of Acacia Avenue and Lake Street, in the unincorporated neighborhood of Little Lake.
The Sheriff’s Department Special Investigations Bureau issued a statement Thursday that said two men were seen fleeing after several explosions were heard just before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Detectives believe the men were using a flammable substance to extract concentrated cannabis from marijuana plants in the garage. Evidence suggests a spark ignited the fumes, which caused an explosion and flames that consumed most of the home, according to the statement.
The fire also caused ammunition in the home to discharge and fire at the same time firefighters arrived.

A farm worker was injured in an explosion in Forest Grove on Tuesday.
Crews were called to the area of Willamina Avenue & Reuter Lane. at around 2:15 p.m., where they found the man with leg injuries.  He was being taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The victim was a former volunteer firefighter and he was using a torch to cut apart a metal drum, authorities said.  The heat from the explosion was so intense, it melted some barn windows.
Investigators believe the metal drum contained diesel at one point. Though empty, it may have had enough fuel and vapors to create the explosion.
The blast also caused a small fire and burned some of the victim's clothing. Firefighters were able to quickly douse the flames.
The victim's name and condition have not been released.

(AP) - Three students have been sent to a juvenile detention center after setting off a homemade explosive device in a school cafeteria in Bradley County.

No one was injured in the incident Tuesday morning at Lake Forest Middle School. Two 14-year-old students and a 15-year-old were charged with possession of a weapon on school property and reckless endangerment.

Investigators said two students brought household chemicals and a plastic bottle to school, combined the items in the bottle and gave it to a third student who tossed it into a trash container. A chemical reaction caused the device to explode.

The students said they learned about the device in a YouTube video.

An Umatilla police officer was taken to the emergency room after a substance he was testing for drugs at a suspicious home apparently turned out to be part of a recipe for meth -- and exploded in his face.
A hazardous materials unit was called to the scene and officer Josh Brown was treated at an area hospital and released, according to Police Chief Douglas Foster.
Clayton Tabor, 22, of Umatilla, was charged with loitering and prowling after being found hiding in the woods behind the Orange Street home.
Tabor also was charged with violation of probation and placed in the Lake County jail without bail.
According to Umatilla police, Brown responded to 154 Orange Court on Wednesday to reports of people being in an abandoned home.
Brown spotted a bag filled a white powdery substance, candles, sheets and other items. The officer assumed the powder was methamphetamine. But when he put a small amount of the substance in a test kit -- it turned black, exploded and shot out of his hand and sprayed him in the face with "noxious gas."
He was treated by EMS before being taken to a hospital. It was not clear what injuries he received.
"He's was released, so its seems he's OK," Foster said.

LONDON, UK – An explosion at a chemical plant in Germany killed at least one person and left two others injured Saturday.

Police spokeswoman Ramona told Bloomberg that a tank exploded at the Evonik Degussa plant in the western city of Marl and started a blaze, which about 100 firefighters managed to bring under control.

The injured man was flown to hospital, while a third person suffered only light injuries and was discharged earlier today.

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Marl, a city of 87,000 in the Ruhr industrial heartland, is an important chemical industry hub. Its chemical park is among Europe’s biggest, with 30 firms employing about 10,000 workers producing more than 4,000 products.

The blast – whose cause was not immediately known – was triggered in a tank containing substances used in the production of plastic parts in the auto industry, as well as in electronics and cosmetics, an industry spokesman told the Agence France Presse.

NORWALK -- Every on-duty firefighter in Norwalk fought to prevent a Wednesday afternoon blaze in a building at LaJoie's Scrap and Recycling from igniting thousands of gallons of diesel fuel and exploding containers of accelerants.

Deputy Fire Chief Ed Prescott said the fire tore through the 60-foot-by-60-foot, two-story sheet metal building that houses the mid-20th century, 20-cylinder diesel locomotive engine that powers a car shredder. The building contained about 9,000 gallons of diesel fuel as well as containers of acetylene and oxygen, fire officials said.

"Our main concern was that a lot of acetylene tanks and oxygen tanks were compromised and were fueling the fire," he said. "Our guys worked really hard to contain it to where it was and to make sure there was external explosions."

BOISE -- Authorities say an explosion at Micron Technologies in Boise resulted in minors injuries to seven people and led to the brief evacuation of 200 workers Tuesday morning.
Boise Fire Chief Dennis Doan says the explosion was powerful enough to move a concrete wall.
 
Fire officials say the explosion involved a piece of research and development equipment located two floors below ground.
 
Emergency responders report that no hazardous chemicals were released as a result.
 
Seven people were examined at the scene for minor injuries that included a cut arm, ringing in the ears of two people and several complaints of dust inhalation.

A major fire broke out in a chemical storage unit, that was illegally set up in a residential complex, at Subashnagar in Jeedimetla. The incident spread panic for around four hours on Monday morning. Six families residing in two apartments nearby were evacuated. No casualties were reported.

The fire spread to the nearby paper packaging godown which was located on the ground floor of the adjacent residential apartment. It took almost five hours for fire personnel to bring the blaze under control. Four fire tenders were used for the operation. Officials said the fire control room received a call at 7.45 am and immediately a fire tender from Jeedimetla fire station rushed to the spot and started operations. Later, two more fire tenders from the Sanathnagar fire station and Patanhceru fire station joined the operations.

As the barrels kept with chemicals exploded, several vehicles, including a vehicle that was parked outside the apartment, got damaged. There were about 20 to 30 explosions, according to eye witnesses. The entire building developed cracks. The chemical storage unit was set up by one Devram Choudary on the ground floor of the building. He and his family stayed on the first floor and the second floor was vacant.

Immediately after the blast, he and his family fled, eyewitnesses said. The blaze spread to the nearby building and paper kept in the Laqshya Packaging Solutions godown on the ground floor was completely gutted. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. Mr Ram, who stays nearby, said he woke up hearing a blast at about 7.30 am. About 20 to 30 blasts were heard. Immediately somebody alerted the fire control room about the accident. Ms Raja Kumari, who stays above the packaging unit, was seen crying at the

HYDERABAD: A two-storied residential complex was gutted on Monday in a major fire accident at a chemical storage unit in Jeedimetla's Subhash Nagar. Fifty cans of chemical solvents stored in the ground floor of the building caused an explosion.

The cause of fire is being investigated, but fire officers at the site said that the friction caused between the solvent and the containers could have set off the spark.

The incident occurred at around 7.30 am when most of the inhabitants on the first and second floors were asleep. The first few containers exploded to alert the inhabitants who made their escape by jumping onto the roof of an adjacent building. No injuries were reported although the building was found to have developed cracks. Fire officials said that the building might collapse any time due to this.

NANJING - An explosion early Tuesday at a chemical plant in a city on China's east coast has injured two people and left another two missing, according to local authorities.
The blast occurred in Lianyungang Taiyi Fine Chemical Factory in Donghai county in Lianyungang city, Jiangsu Province, a spokesperson for the county government said.
Firefighters are still searching for the missing in the plant, the spokesperson added.
The windows and doors of a school situated 700 meters away from the chemical facility were severely damaged, but no students were hurt as the explosion happened early morning, outside of school hours.
The school's classes have been suspended and will resume Tuesday afternoon.
The explosion caused the leakage of 250 kg of ammonia, which has been diluted with water and will not affect the environment, according to the spokesperson.

An industrial explosion at a ceramics supply business left one man in critical condition Saturday, a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman said.

The blast occurred shortly after 1 p.m. at Laguna Clay, located at 14400 Lomitas Ave. in the City of Industry, where a worker had been handling an unknown, non-hazardous chemical, said Lt. Kimberly Unland.

That chemical ignited another material that the employee was working with, she said.

The fire was extinguished immediately and the injured worker was transported to a nearby hospital, she said. The sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail was sent to the scene.

Firefighters have tackled a blaze caused by an explosion at a pharmaceutical company in Edinburgh.

Crews were sent to MacFarlan Smith on Wheatfield Road in the west of the city at 12.14am on Sunday.

A small explosion started the fire on the second floor of the detached Blandfield Works building and firefighters were required to wear chemical protective suits while extinguishing the flames.

A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service said: “The fire service was called to the scene where there had been a small explosion on the second floor in the process room.

MUMBAI: Seven persons including three foreign crew were injured when a fire broke out following an explosion on board a Korean chemical freighter at Mumbai harbour today.

Two of the injured are reported to be serious, Mumbai Port Trust officials said.

"At 11.25 am, the Korean owned 9500 DWT chemical tanker Royal Diamond 7 reported to the Mumbai port's vessel traffic system/control station that an explosion had occurred and three crew members have been injured," an MPT press statement said.

A Portland Fire spokesman says an explosion involving a chemical reactor at a silicon factory has injured two people.

Spokesman Paul Corah says two men were doing maintenance Thursday night near the chemical reactor at Wacker Siltronics. The reactor combines chemicals for manufacturing.

Corah says reports indicate the explosion occurred when oxygen interacted with a substance called trichlorosilane. He says that's a chemical compound of silicon, hydrogen and chlorine.

A 56-year-old man and a 58-year-old man reported respiratory problems after the explosion and were taken to a hospital.

GEISMAR, La. - An explosion and fire at a chemical plant in southeastern Louisiana caused the release of hazardous vinyl chloride into the air, authorities said.

No one was injured in Thursday's accident at the Westlake Vinyls plant in the Geismar community, an area that plays host to a large number of chemical plants that dot the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.

State police spokesman Russell Graham said it wasn't clear how much of the chemical was released, but a small cloud was hovering over the plant. A handful of residents living in the heavily industrial area were advised to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed and turn off air conditioning units. Other plants in the area were advised to do likewise.