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Two workers were killed and several others injured after two explosions tore through an industrial recycling facility in Toledo, Ohio, early Tuesday, sparking a massive fire and sending thick, black smoke billowing over the area, officials said.
The blasts erupted shortly before 5 a.m. at Brent Industries during a shift change, Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said, according to The Associated Press.
Firefighters later found the bodies of a male and female employee inside the heavily damaged building. Two or three other workers suffered minor injuries.
Video from the scene showed flames engulfing portions of the facility as fire crews surrounded the building.
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The blasts erupted shortly before 5 a.m. at Brent Industries during a shift change. (WTVG via AP)
Aerial images showed extensive destruction, with nearly all of the roof gone and several walls blown out, according to The Associated Press.
Armstrong said crews initially faced hazardous materials, runoff and the threat of additional explosions as they searched for victims and accounted for employees.
Environmental officials said air monitoring detected no hazardous threat.
Demetrius Langston, who was about half a mile away, said he felt the force of the blasts.
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Firefighters later found the bodies of a male and female employee inside the heavily damaged building. (WTVG via AP)
“The shock waves came down the block,” he said. “Then we all heard it again. Boom! You could feel it.”
The fire continued burning into Tuesday afternoon, and officials said there were no preliminary indications of what caused the explosions.
Authorities urged residents who could see or smell smoke to stay away from the area and keep their windows and doors closed.
Brent Industries, based in Alabama, provides textile reconditioning and industrial recycling services and uses mineral spirits in its cleaning process, according to The Associated Press.
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The fire continued burning into Tuesday afternoon, and officials said there were no preliminary indications of what caused the explosions. (WTVG via AP)
Fire officials said tanks containing the petroleum-based solvent were at the Toledo facility, though their role in Tuesday’s explosions remains unknown.
The company has a history of deadly accidents and safety violations, The Associated Press reported.
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A 2015 explosion at its Alabama plant killed one worker after mineral spirit vapors ignited inside a washing machine. OSHA later cited the company for six violations and fined it $27,000.
Brent Industries could not immediately be reached by Digital for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
