Officials in West Reading Borough said a number of other people were injured by the explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant, about 95 kilometres northwest of Philadelphia.
Posted: Mar 25, 2023 5:22 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago
West Reading officials said on Saturday they could confirm only two fatalities. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency had earlier said there were five fatalities, citing county emergency management officials, but after an update from the county, officials indicated that two had died and five were missing.
"The building in the front, with the church and the apartments, the explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet [1.2 metres] forward." R.M. Palmer said it was anxious to get in touch with its employees and their families. But its email, phones and other communication systems were down, and it was relying on first responders and disaster recovery organizations to provide information to affected families. The company said it would be "providing additional information and making contact with employees, impacted families, and the community as soon as possible.
A team of structural engineers and K-9s from a state urban search-and-rescue task force had been assisting since Friday night, and additional personnel arrived Saturday, he said. A state police fire marshal was also assisting in the investigation, he said.
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