At least 3 killed, 37 hurt in factory explosion

KINSTON, N.C. -- An explosion followed by a raging fire demolished a plastics factory Wednesday, killing at least three people and injuring at least 37.

The cause of the thunderous blast that sent a black, acrid smoke billowing over the countryside was not immediately known. The West Pharmaceutical Services plant made syringe plungers and IV supplies and had been cited for numerous safety violations last fall.

Three bodies had been found amid the twisted debris by late Wednesday, according to Chief Deral Raynor of the North Lenoir Fire Department, the scene commander.

Raynor said he believed everyone at the plant at the time of the explosion had been accounted for, but a safety department official on the scene cautioned it was too early to say.

Workers who escaped the fireball and the choking smoke said they thought the factory was under terrorist attack. Sampson Heath said the explosion sent a plume of fire toward his work station and knocked him off his feet.

When he stood up, he saw wires and tiles hanging from the ceiling and could hear trapped co-workers screaming for help.

"Your life did flash before your eyes," Heath said as he stood in the yard of a church, getting hugs and kisses from relatives.

The first emergency crews on the scene said they repeatedly rescued workers who were dangling from steel beams. Many had third-degree burns.

The Red Cross said at least 37 people were injured, some critically. At least 11 of them had been treated and released by Wednesday night, according to information from hospitals compiled by the Red Cross.

The blast was felt for miles, with the smoke punctuated by exploding fireballs. Nine hours later, the building was still burning.

"The damage is catastrophic to the building," said Greg Smith, operations chief of the Kinston Public Safety Department. "The structure is so compromised that you just can't enter and walk around."

Emergency officials urged residents within a mile of the plant to evacuate because of the smoke, which included fumes from burning plastic.

Hugh Pollock, headmaster of nearby Arendell Parrott Academy, said windows in his building burst from their frames and one child was cut on the head by broken glass. The private school was evacuated. "It was quite an explosion. It lasted for several seconds," he said. "It almost felt like an earthquake was taking place."

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the plant was inspected in October, cited for numerous safety violations and fined about $10,000. The fine was reduced to $9,075 in a settlement Jan. 8.

"We're satisfied with the company's response to the inspection we did this fall," state Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said.

Among other things, the plant was cited for problems with its electrical systems design, wiring and use; portable fire extinguishers; hazardous waste operations; and communications.

Since 1993, OSHA has inspected 443 facilities similar to the North Carolina plant and found an average of nearly six violations per site, compared with 15 violations at West Pharmaceutical.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright