Louisiana Blast Leaves 2 Dead and 7 Missing

STERLINGTON, La. — An explosion devastated a large fertilizer plant and caused damage throughout the surrounding town Wednesday. Two people died, at least seven were missing and more than 120 were injured, officials said.

Fires still were burning more than seven hours later, and authorities were trying to determine whether chemicals were being released into the air. Sterlington was sealed off, and at least 500 people were evacuated.

The cause of the 1:30 p.m. blast at the International Minerals & Chemicals Corp. plant was not immediately known, but propane was believed to be involved. Buildings shook more than eight miles away, one witness said.

Hazardous materials experts were working with plant officials to determine the source of the fires and whether chemicals were burning, State Police Capt. Ronnie Jones said Wednesday night.

“The problem is that it’s still very, very hot in there,” Jones said.

The blast killed two people and left seven or eight missing, according to a recorded message at the Ouachita Parish Fire Department. Jones said 123 injured people were treated at four hospitals. At least one was in critical condition.

David Felts, a fire dispatcher, said that “there are heavy fumes of different gases, which makes it very difficult to fight the fires.”

“Glass and debris were strewn all over the town” from the explosion, Felts added.

A hospital across the street from the plant was among buildings evacuated. Other residents of this town of 1,200 people already were away, however, escaping flooding from heavy rains in recent days.

Mary Blackmon, an emergency medical technician who lives in Rocky Branch, about eight miles away, said, “It really shook us there. I knew something had exploded.”

David Humphreys, a photographer for the News-Star in Monroe who flew near the blast site, said an area the size of a city block appeared leveled.

“It looked like a charred block of land,” he said.