An explosion killed one person and injured dozens of others at the US Steel Clairton plant outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, officials say.
The Allegheny County police department confirmed the death and said two people were currently believed to be unaccounted for.
Allegheny County Emergency Services spokesperson Kasey Reigner confirmed there were “dozens” of injuries but could not confirm fatalities or a cause, CBS News reported.
Another spokesperson confirmed a rescue operation was underway for people trapped.
Governor Josh Shapiro posted on social media that the state’s emergency management services and police had been deployed to the plant.
US Senator John Fetterman wrote on X that he was also at the scene and witnessed “an active search and rescue underway.”
KDKA News, a local broadcaster, reported at least one person was unaccounted for.
The plant is a major producer of coke, a coal-based fuel used in the production of steel.
Clairton Coke Works has been dogged by pollution concerns throughout its history and has had to pay millions of dollars in fines, penalties, and settlements in recent years.
The plant’s owner, US Steel, was fined nearly $2m (£1.5m) last year by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) for processing and equipment issues with its coking ovens.
The ACHD also fined US Steel $2.2m in 2023 for exceeding Pennsylvania’s standards on hydrogen sulfide emissions from the Clairton plant, and ordered them to provide officials with a plan to comply with state standards.
In 2022, Pennsylvania health officials fined US Steel $4.7m after it found the plant was not using a pollution control device for its coke pushing.
US Steel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.