33 injured as blast rocks Noranda plant

An explosion rocked the metal service building at Noranda Aluminum about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, injuring 33 employees and taking out the side of the building.

A large plume of smoke could be seen above the plant near New Madrid, Missouri, in New Madrid County.

Preliminary information indicates 33 workers at the plant were injured, according to a news release late Tuesday from Rhonda Burke of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in St. Louis. One worker was treated for smoke inhalation, and 32 were treated for eye and throat irritation, including some for ringing of the ears, the release said.

There were no fatalities.

Earlier Tuesday, Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Sgt. Clark Parrot confirmed five injuries and was on his way to the plant to check for further details.

"OSHA is on scene and will conduct a thorough investigation at Noranda Aluminum facility to see if any violations of safety procedures contributed to this tragic incident," said David Keim, OSHA's assistant area director in St. Louis, in the release.

OSHA also reported it opened an investigation at Noranda on June 30 after the company reported a worker suffered second- and third-degree burns in an incident at the facility.

In an email to the Southeast Missourian, Noranda spokesman Mark Christian said local emergency personnel as well as Noranda's on-site emergency response team responded to the explosion.

Injuries appeared to be limited to dust irritation, smoke inhalation and noncritical abrasions, he said.

All affected employees were released from medical care, with many returning to work Tuesday, Christian wrote.

Air Evac was called in as a precaution, but no one had to be lifted out, Parrott said.

John Parker, Noranda's vice president of communications, called the blast a molten-metal explosion in the cast house of the plant, which has about 935 workers.

He wasn't sure how many employees were working at the time, according to the Associated Press.

The metal service or metal products building on the north side of the plant is where molten aluminum is cast into shapes.

A reporter on the scene saw the large building's south wall blown nearly completely off and holes in the roof and other walls.

Noranda is involved in all aspects of the aluminum industry, including technology, smelting, fabricating and mining, according to company literature.

All of the company's primary aluminum production takes place at the New Madrid plant.

Parrott said the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department and state fire marshal responded to the scene.

Two investigators from the state fire marshal's office remained on the scene as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

"The safety and well-being of our employees and contractors remains our first priority as we focus our attention on clean-up and investigation," Christian said in the email.

The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.

Disclosure: Reporter Erin Ragan's husband works at Noranda. She covered the story because she was in the vicinity on assignment for an unrelated story when the explosion occurred.

eragan@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632

kwebster@semissourian.com

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