Two workers lost their lives and multiple others sustained injuries after a sequence of explosions tore through an industrial facility in Toledo, Ohio, on Tuesday morning, officials confirmed.
The force of the blast ruptured chemical tanks, causing them to topple, Toledo Fire Chief Allison Armstrong reported. She also noted that the facility’s roof partially caved in.
During a Tuesday afternoon news conference, Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz confirmed that two Brent Industries employees, who were inside the building at the time, died in the explosion.
Fire department officials identified the deceased as a man and a woman. Both victims were recovered from the wreckage of the building.
“This is, obviously, an unusual event; it is a tragic event and one that we’re taking very seriously,” Kapszukiewicz stated.
The first firefighters to arrive entered the structure and searched both the office and warehouse areas before the incident commander ordered them to evacuate, as conditions inside the building had grown too hazardous to continue operations, officials explained.
Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims. However, Lenore Bangura informed ABC Toledo affiliate WTVG that her mother, Mary Allen, perished in the explosion.
“My mom was amazing and I’m going to miss her,” Bangura said.
According to a recording obtained from Broadcastify.com, a dispatcher alerted fire crews responding to the explosion that 911 callers reported “that the building has blown up.”
One of the first firefighters on the scene radioed that the rear of the property was “full of chemicals that will ignite and explode violently,” the dispatch recording captured.
Following the arrival of the initial firefighters, a second alarm was issued, prompting additional fire and hazardous materials crews to respond to the blaze.
Armstrong confirmed that several employees received treatment for minor injuries.
Armstrong noted that 911 calls reporting the explosion began flooding in just before 5 a.m.
Upon arriving at the scene, firefighters discovered the building fully engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing from the structure, according to officials and video evidence from the area.
Workers were present at the facility when the explosion occurred, which happened during a shift change, Armstrong observed.
The initial blast triggered a series of subsequent explosions, she added.
“We’re dealing with heavy fire in the building. Part of the building has collapsed,” Armstrong reported.
She identified the business as an industrial cleaning operation.
“They clean items like rags, towels, stuff like that,” Armstrong explained.
Firefighters continue working to determine the exact number of employees who were inside the building when the explosion took place, Armstrong stated.
“We do, unfortunately, have two unaccounted for,” she said.
Investigators had not determined the cause of the explosion as of Tuesday afternoon.
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