Two employees have died following an explosion at a Louisville, Kentucky, factory that caused a partial collapse of the building and blew out windows in nearby homes and businesses, the company said Wednesday.
The explosion occurred Tuesday afternoon at Givaudan Sense Colour, which produces colorings for food and drinks. Firefighters rescued and evacuated many people from the building, including some with life-threatening injuries, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a statement Tuesday night.
Greenberg said officials have accounted for everyone who was working at the plant at the time.
It was earlier reported that at least 11 employees were taken to hospitals.
The cause was under investigation. Greenberg said officials spoke to employees inside the plant and they “initially conveyed that everything was normal activity when the explosion occurred.”
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Associated Press journalists John Raby and Bruce Schreiner contributed to this report.