icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
4 May, 2019 08:58

1 dead, 2 missing as 'ground-shaking’ explosion levels Illinois silicone plant (VIDEOS)

1 dead, 2 missing as 'ground-shaking’ explosion levels Illinois silicone plant (VIDEOS)

A massive ground-shaking explosion rocked a suburb north of Chicago on Friday night as a building was leveled by a mysterious blast that claimed at least one life.

The explosion took place at about 9pm at the AB Specialty Silicone plant in Waukegan, 40 miles north of Chicago. One fatality has been confirmed, two people are missing and four others were injured in the blast. The Lake County Sheriff’s Office warned residents to stay away from the area.

Employees were working inside the building at the time of the blast. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi said several workers are unaccounted for, Lake and McHenry County Scanner reports. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

Witnesses told local media they heard a “loud boom” and saw the building “engulfed in flames.”

“It was leveled,” local Megan Hener, who lives six blocks from the blast, said. “It shook our house and shook my insides.”

Videos shared on social media capture the moment of the blast, and show a massive blaze with a huge cloud of smoke overhead.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57