There was an explosion at a Corn Mill which led to the death of at least one person, while a dozen others were left injured. A recovery team was dispatched to southern Wisconsin to search for two missing workers, and the facility was brought down to the ground. During an interview on Thursday the Sheriff of Columbia County said that at about 11pm on Wednesday, the blast was reported, and it was confirmed that sixteen workers were on duty during the explosion at the Didion Milling Plant in Cambria.
The cause of the accident is still unknown
The cause of the explosion is still unknown, however, there was no provision for a well-structured explosive protection system for the plant filters.
According to the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the company was fined for this recklessness and paid the sum of $3,465. They were then directed to put the required system in place.
The company said it has shut down production until further notice, and this was made known through the company's official website. However, attempts to contact company officials on Thursday -- including Jeff Dillon, the Vice President of sales -- were unsuccessful.
The condition of those affected is currently unknown. A spokeswoman for University of Wisconsin Hospital -- where five of the victims are being treated -- could only disclose that four out of those five were admitted to the hospital's burn unit, while the last person was admitted to the trauma unit.
Six victims were taken to Divine Savior Hospital
Another hospital where 6 victims of the blast were rushed to was Divine Savior Hospital -- with the spokeswoman for the hospital disclosing that of the six victims, four were released after they received full treatment, and one of the victims was transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit -- while the last person was transferred to the University of Wisconsin Hospital.
The president of Cambria -- Glen Williams -- said that different agencies worked together on the scene to swiftly reduce casualties. He also said that schools in the district were forced to close due to the incident.
An investigation into the accident has been initiated by the U.S Occupational Safety and Health Administration. According to the agency's spokesman, Scott Allen, this investigation is to be completed within six months and the agency will do its best to determine the cause of the blast at a later date.
