• At least one person is dead, 10 injured and one unaccounted for in an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The cause of the explosion is unknown and officials are investigating, US Steel said.
• People were trapped under rubble, The Associated Press reported.
• The Clairton Coke Works, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America.
Our live coverage of the news out of Pittsburgh on the steel coking plant explosion has concluded for the day. Please scroll through the posts below for today’s developments.
The person killed Monday in an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was Timothy Quinn, his sister Trisha Quinn told CNN.
Allegheny County officials have not identified the one person they say died in the explosion. At least 10 others are injured and one is unaccounted for, officials have said.
Quinn, 39, was a father of three and a caregiver for his mother, Trisha said, adding her brother lit up a room.
Officials did not inform her of her brother’s death until approximately 4 p.m., several hours after the explosion occurred, just before 11 a.m., Trisha said.
“I was calling every hospital in Pittsburgh,” Trisha said. Eventually, she traveled to the scene of the explosion searching for answers.
“My dad worked at the steel mill for 42 years,” Trisha told CNN affiliate WPXI. “He would be disgusted at the situation right now.”
Correction: A previous version of this post misspelled Allegheny County.
Five of the 10 people injured in Monday’s explosion at the Clairton Coke Works have been discharged from the hospital, according to a spokesperson for Allegheny Health Network.
Two other patients are still being treated at trauma centers within the hospital system, said Nikki Buccina, the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, three others are being treated at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, according to a UPMC Mercy Hospital spokesperson.
Earlier on Monday, Allegheny County officials said at least 10 people were injured in the explosion but did not provide details about the conditions of those hurt.
The cause of Monday’s explosion at Clairton Coke Works in Pittsburgh is unclear at this time, according to Scott Buckiso, executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for US Steel.
“It’s very preliminary,” Buckiso said. “We don’t have any details right now.”
The incident involved at least two coke oven batteries, according to US Steel. Both batteries have been shut down, Buckiso added.
“We are working closely with relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and will provide additional updates as they become available,” said David B. Burritt, president and chief executive officer of US Steel.
Local authorities are working with US Steel to investigate what caused today’s explosion, they said at a news conference.
“With their full cooperation and transparency, we aim to get to the bottom of the origin of what caused this explosion and prevent it from ever happening again,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
One person is dead and 10 others are injured as rescuers continue to search for one individual still missing after the explosion, Victor Joseph, assistant superintendent for Allegheny County Police, said during a news conference.
Responders rescued another individual who had been missing. They were transported to a hospital, leaving one person unaccounted for.
“When we got here, it was a rescue mission, still a rescue mission,” Joseph said. “Initially, there were two unaccounted for individuals. Within the past hour, one of those individuals was rescued, who has been transported to a local hospital.”
The victim who was killed was pronounced dead at the hospital, said Scott Buckiso, executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for US Steel, at the news conference.
One explosion happened at the Clairton Coke Works in Pittsburgh today, Scott Buckiso, executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for US Steel, said during a news conference.
Earlier in the day, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said multiple explosions had occured.
“Multiple explosions occurred today at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works in Clairton, PA,” Shapiro said in a post on X.
The Clairton Coke Works plant involved in an explosion earlier this morning is stable, said Scott Buckiso, executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for US Steel.
A news conference giving updates on the Clairton Coke Works explosion is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. local time. Some of the expected speakers include:
An incident which occurred at US Steel’s Clairton Plant in Pittsburgh Monday involved at least two coke oven batteries, according to the United States Steel Corporation.
Nearly 1,300 employees work at the Clairton Plant each day, Burritt added.
“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees and the environment,” he said.
Officials plan to hold a news conference on Monday’s explosion at the US Steel Clairton Coke Works sometime before 3:30 p.m. ET, Allegheny County Communications Director Abigail Gardner told CNN.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said there were multiple explosions at US Steel’s Clairton Coke Works plant on Monday, adding a search and rescue operation is still ongoing.
“Multiple explosions occurred today at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works in Clairton, PA,” Shapiro said in a post on X. His administration has since been in “constant contact with labor leaders and local officials,” and Shapiro has also spoken with Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato.
In the last 10 years, there have been 266 severe injuries in steel mills, 194 of which resulted in hospitalization and 98 in amputation, according to data from The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA.
There is about one severe injury every two weeks on average. While serious injuries and even deaths in steel plants are not uncommon, explosions are.
Pennsylvania has the highest number of injury reports, followed by Texas and then Ohio, which is not reflective of fatalities.
US Rep. Summer Lee, who represents the area where the explosion took place Monday, issued a statement vowing to support affected workers and families.
At least seven people injured in Monday’s explosion at the Clairton Coke Works are being treated at hospitals belonging to the Allegheny Health Network, according to network spokespeople.
Five are being treated at Jefferson Hospital, the spokespeople told CNN. One person was sent to Allegheny General Hospital, a level one trauma center, while another was sent to Forbes Hospital, a level two trauma center.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Pittsburgh Field Office is assisting multiple agencies in response to Monday’s explosion, the department wrote on X.
One person has died and two are unaccounted for after Monday’s explosion, according to officials.
Multiple individuals have been treated for additional injuries, the Allegheny County Police Department said in an online statement, although the extent of the injuries is unclear.
The scene remains active and Allegheny County Emergency Services is urging people to avoid the area.
The United Steelworkers union indicated multiple workers are receiving medical attention following Monday’s explosion at the Clairton Coke Works outside Pittsburgh.
USW has occupational health and safety experts at the scene, “assessing the situation and aiding our members,” Hall added.
Allegheny County Emergency Services spokesperson Kasey Reigner told CNN affiliate WTAE that among the dozens of injuries, many are not life-threatening.
A steelworker inside the Clairton Coke Works plant said Monday’s explosion was so loud, the worker initially thought two trains had collided, CNN affiliate KDKA reported.
For context: The Clairton Coke Works is a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, and is considered the largest coking operation in North America. Coking plants process raw coal into coke and is a critical component in steelmaking.
