According to the police, at least 11 individuals have been injured due to an explosion at a manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kentucky.
On Tuesday afternoon, there was a report of a hazardous materials incident at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility, as stated by Louisville Metro Emergency Services.
The University of Louisville Hospital has treated seven patients from the explosion, with two of them in critical condition.
A hospital representative mentioned that injuries include burns and blast wounds. Officials are still trying to determine what caused the explosion, which took place around 3 p.m. local time.
All those hurt were employees at Givaudan Sense Colour, which specializes in natural food coloring.
After the blast, one person who was trapped was successfully rescued, and several others were evacuated.
Thankfully, there have been no reported fatalities related to this incident. Drone footage from WHAS, a local ABC affiliate in Louisville, showed significant damage to the facility.
Residents living within two blocks of the site at 1901 Payne St. have been evacuated for safety reasons. Initially, there was a shelter-in-place order for anyone within a mile radius of the facility; however, that has now been lifted.
Agents from Louisville’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on-site helping with this serious situation.
Fortunately, air quality monitoring indicates everything is clear right now.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has advised people in the area to heed local officials’ instructions while responders work on securing everything and expressed his prayers for everyone’s safety involved in this incident.