The explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Monongahela Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. An Allegheny County emergency services spokesperson, Kasey Reigner, said one person died in the explosion and two were currently believed to be unaccounted for. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10.51am. The explosion sent a shock through the community and led to officials asking residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond. “It felt like thunder,” Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, told WTAE-TV.

Source: The Times August 11, 2025 18:06 UTC