CLAIRTON, Pa. -- Explosions at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left one person dead and sent at least 10 to hospitals Monday and heavily damaged the sprawling facility, with emergency workers still searching the badly charred rubble for a missing worker, officials said.
One worker was pulled from the wreckage hours after the explosion sent black smoke spiraling into the midday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. A search and rescue effort was still active on Monday afternoon and officials said the cause of the explosion was under investigation.
The large explosion, followed by several smaller blasts, could be felt in the nearby community and prompted county officials to warn residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond.
At a news conference, Scott Buckiso, U.S. Steel's chief manufacturing officer, did not give details about the damage or casualties, and said they were still trying to determine what happened. U.S. Steel employees "did a great job" of going in and rescuing workers, shutting down gases and making sure the site was stable.
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Buckiso said the company, now a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., is working with authorities. He said search teams were still looking for one person who was missing.
The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania.
The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what's known as coke gas -- made up of a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
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