Today’s Russian TV station reported that on the evening of the 8th local time, a DuPont chemical plant in West Virginia, USA, exploded and caused a fire. Local residents were told to “evacuate in place”. There are no casualties and the cause of the explosion is unclear.
Kannawaha County Magistrate Kent Carper reported on the evening of the 8th: “We have encountered a very serious explosion and a burning fire. We think it may have been caused by a barge in the river area of the factory.” It is unclear whether the explosion was related to volatile chemicals, but Carper said that there was a smell of chlorine around the scene, a pungent smell, but it has not been confirmed.
According to the official announcement of Kanawaha County, the "Refuge in Place" order is only applicable to the "two-mile radius" area around the chemical plant. According to reports, this includes nearby towns such as Mamet, Chesapeake and Celion.
DuPont subsequently issued a statement stating that an unknown "accident" had occurred at the factory and that the on-site personnel were trying to control the fire, but did not provide other details. The statement did not mention the explosion and the cause of the explosion, and it is not clear whether anyone was injured.
