No injuries from chemical plant blast in Louisiana: Dow
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Industry Chemicals Manufacturing explosion manufacturingCompany says affected production unit shut down, the rest of the complex continues to run safely.
PLAQUEMINE, La. — An explosion at a Dow chemical plant in Louisiana rattled windows in nearby homes but caused no injuries, the company said Nov. 3.
Dow Louisiana Operations said in a statement posted online that a “vessel” had ruptured in the morning of Nov. 3 at its facility near Plaquemine.
“There are no injuries on site, and we are currently conducting air monitoring,” Dow Louisiana Operations said in a statement on Facebook. The statement said it had shut down the affected production unit, but the rest of the complex was continuing to run safely and there appeared to be no impact outside of the complex.
Other details were not immediately released.
Officials of the Iberville Parish Council said via Facebook that they were in “constant contact” with Dow and added there was no immediate danger to the public.
Dow Louisiana Operations describes itself as a 1,500-acre (600-hectare) manufacturing facility. The site, together with brine operations in Grand Bayou, comprises one of Louisiana’s largest petrochemical facilities.
Local news outlets reported that residents several miles (kilometres) from the plant reported hearing a loud boom just after 8 a.m.
“It sounded like someone dropped a bowling ball in our house,” Thomas Argust told WAFB.
