Dozens Hurt as Blast Rips Through U.S. Steel Plant In Pennsylvania

An explosion Monday at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left dozens wounded and people trapped under rubble, with emergency workers on site attempting rescues, officials said, Marc Levy and Michael Casery reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The fire at the Clairton Coke Works fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m., and five people had been transported for treatment. (Photo: Roy Work Wikimedia Commons)

There are no confirmed fatalities at the Clairton Coke Works, said Abigail Gardner, director of communications for Allegheny County.

The Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. and that five people had been transported for treatment. The agency provided no additional details on the victims, describing the situation as an “active scene.”

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 employing several thousand workers.

In June, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a “historic partnership,” a deal giving the U.S. government a say in certain matters.

The agreement came a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion buyout of the iconic American steelmaker.