An explosion at a U.S. Steel coal-processing plant near Pittsburgh has left two people dead and sent 10 others to the hospital, the company confirmed Friday. The blast happened during preparations for routine maintenance, when workers were flushing a gas valve.
The plant, located in Clairton along the Monongahela River, is the largest coking facility in North America. It processes coal by heating it to about 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit to produce coke, an essential fuel for steelmaking. During this process, a dangerous gas called coke oven gas, which contains methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide, is produced.
According to U.S. Steel, pressure built up inside the valve, causing it to fail. This allowed the coke oven gas to escape and ignite. The company hasn’t yet identified exactly why the pressure increased or what sparked the explosion. Investigations are ongoing, with authorities reviewing video footage and interviewing workers.
The explosion was powerful enough to send a large plume of black smoke into the sky. People nearby reported feeling the ground shake and hearing the blast from more than a mile away. Rescuers took hours to find two missing workers trapped under wreckage, discovering one alive and one deceased.
The plant is nearly 110 years old and is part of a shrinking number of integrated steelmaking operations in the U.S. It recently became part of Nippon Steel, a Japan-based company, which completed its purchase of U.S. Steel in June after gaining approval from former President Donald Trump. That deal included promises to invest in the aging facilities and allow federal input on certain steel production issues.
The United Steelworkers union, which represents the workers affected, said it is seeking answers but will wait for more facts before making any statements. The company and union both emphasize that the investigation is still in its early stages.
This tragic event highlights the risks involved in running older industrial plants and the importance of safety measures during maintenance work. The community and the steel industry will be watching closely as more details become available.