Preliminary findings reveal what led to the tragic accident at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh. The explosion, which killed two workers and injured several others, occurred just before scheduled maintenance, the company confirmed.
What happened?
U.S. Steel said the explosion at its Clairton Coke Works Plant occurred while workers were flushing a gas valve during maintenance preparation. The facility, located in Pennsylvania, converts raw coal into coke for steel production.
The pressure
According to a company news release, pressure built inside the valve, causing it to fail. This released coke oven gas into the surrounding area, which later ignited and exploded.
Unknown source
However, the exact ignition source hasn’t been identified. U.S. Steel did note that the investigation is still in its early stages. The initial blast triggered multiple secondary explosions at the plant, which sits about 15 miles from downtown Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. Bernie Hall, District 10 director of the United Steelworkers union, said in a statement that it’s still early in the investigation, “so we need to learn more before speculating further.”
Lives lost
The explosion claimed the lives of Timothy Quinn, 39, and Steven Menefee, 52, as reported by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner. Ten others were hospitalized, while several more sustained minor injuries.
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Author: Isabella Torregiani
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