Pair missing after corn plant explosion

CAMBRIA, Wis. — Recovery crews searched a mountain of debris for two workers on Thursday following an explosion at a corn mill plant that killed at least one employee, injured about a dozen others and levelled parts of the sprawling facility in southern Wisconsin, authorities said.

Sixteen employees were working when the blast was reported around 11 p.m. Wednesday at the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria, a small community about 70 km northeast of Madison, Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards said during a news conference. The plant processes corn for ethanol and other uses.

Richards said one person was killed and two people were still missing as of Thursday morning. There was no immediate word on what may have caused the blast, though U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) personnel were on the scene.

Five people were air-lifted to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. Four were in the hospital’s burn centre, while the fifth was in the trauma and life support centre, hospital spokeswoman Emily Kumlien said.

Divine Savior Hospital in nearby Portage received six people hurt in the blast. Four have been treated and released, but one was transferred to the burn unit at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and another person was admitted to Divine Savior’s intensive care unit, hospital spokeswoman Haley Gilman said.

Numerous fire departments, law enforcement offices and rescue agencies from the area responded to the scene, according to Cambria Village President Glen Williams. He noted that the plant, in a community of about 770 people, is an economic anchor in the area.

“Quite a few of the employees live in the village and surrounding area. So it’s going to affect the whole area. Not just the shock of the event, but the economic hardship to the families,” Williams said.

Williams said the fire was contained by early Thursday and there were no evacuations in the area.

E-mails and voicemail sent to several company officials Thursday weren’t immediately returned. A note posted on the company’s website said the company would be closed until further notice.

OSHAspokesmanScottAllensaid personnel from the federal agency were on the scene Thursday morning to begin an investigation.