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Massachusetts emergency responders have recovered the body of a person who died Thursday after a powerful explosion ripped through a pharmaceutical chemical plant.
Acting Newburyport Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III described the explosion as a seven-alarm hazardous materials event and said crews were expected to resume cleanup Friday morning, including removing chemicals of the building
Authorities said there was no threat to the nearby population.
The explosion occurred around 1 a.m. Thursday at the Sequens/PCI synthesis plant, officials said. The video showed most of the roof ripped from one building, marking at least the third safety issue at the plant since 2020.
US Senator Edward Mark of Massachusetts said the company must provide answers about what happened.
“We cannot continue to excuse companies’ blatant disregard for worker safety,” he said in a tweet.
It was not immediately known what caused the explosion, or what, if any, chemicals were involved. Smoke from the fire blew into a largely unpopulated area, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection, which added that initial air monitoring found no significant problems.
Four workers were taken to a hospital, but were not injured and were released. Officials did not immediately identify the person who died.
“All of our attention is focused on the situation of our employees,” PCI Synthesis said in a statement.
The plant is located a little more than 50 kilometers north of Boston. A chemical fire in the building in June 2021 sent smoke coming from roof vents and prompted a hazardous materials team to respond, according to a fire department statement at the time.
In 2020, authorities said a chemical reaction caused a series of explosions at the plant. That came a year after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration found “serious” violations in how the company handled highly hazardous chemicals, according to the agency’s online records.
The factory has also been cited by OSHA for workplace safety violations and in 2019 paid a penalty of more than $50,000 to settle Environmental Protection Agency charges that it violated hazardous waste laws.
