By Rich McKay and Julia Harte
(Reuters) -Multiple explosions at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh killed at least one person and injured 10 others, authorities said on Monday, and emergency crews were searching through the rubble for an employee believed to be missing.
The blasts at the Clairton Coke Works – part of a sprawling industrial complex along the Monongahela River – took place just before 11 a.m. ET (1500 GMT). Firefighters battled flames and heavy smoke that billowed out of the plant, which is owned by U.S. Steel, a subsidiary of Nippon Steel.
Initially, two people were reported missing. One person was found and transported to a local hospital, said Allegheny County Police Assistant Superintendent Victor Joseph at an afternoon briefing. The other individual remains missing, he said.
There was no word yet on a possible cause of the explosion.
“It’s still a rescue mission,” Joseph said, adding that the probe into the explosion would be “a time-consuming technical investigation.”
David Burritt, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Steel, said in a statement that the company was working with local authorities to discover the cause.
Authorities believe they know the general location of the missing employee but were not completely sure, said Scott Buckiso, executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for U.S. Steel, at Monday’s briefing.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro posted on X that there were multiple explosions at the plant and that his administration was in touch with local officials.
“The scene is still active, and folks nearby should follow the direction of local authorities,” he wrote.
The severity of the injuries was not known, but news accounts said that several people were taken to hospital burn units.
Clairton Mayor Rich Lattanzi said it was a horrible day for the city, about 20 miles (32 km) south of Pittsburgh, long known as America’s Steel City.
U.S. Steel has produced steel in the area since the late 19th century, but in recent decades, the industry has been in decline, leading to plant closures and restructurings.
In June, Nippon Steel, Japan’s biggest steelmaker, closed its $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel after an 18-month struggle to obtain U.S. government approval for the deal, which faced scrutiny due to national security concerns.
While air quality monitors did not detect a dangerous rise in sulfur dioxide after Monday’s explosions, residents within 1 mile of the plant were advised to remain indoors, close windows and doors, set HVAC systems to recirculate, and avoid activities that draw in outside air, said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato at the briefing.
The Clairton Coke Works is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the United States, employing about 1,300 workers. It operates 10 coke oven batteries, which produce about 4.3 million tons of coke a year.
Coke is produced by heating coal at high temperatures. It is used in blast furnaces as part of the process of making steel.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta and Julia Harte in New York; Additional reporting by Ryan P. Jones in Toronto; Editing by Frank McGurty and Lisa Shumaker)
