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At least one person has been killed and two others are presumed dead as a result of the massive explosion that occurred Friday night in a Silicon Factory in Illinois, officials said.
The AB Specialty Silicone factory in Waukegan, located about 80 km north of Chicago, was emptied on Saturday morning by rescue teams who suspended the search for two missing employees due to concerns over the stability of the remaining structure.
The officials found the body of a deceased employee. Four other employees were taken to the hospital and two others refused treatment.
Emergency personnel work on the scene of an explosion at AB Specialty Silicones on Sunset and Northwestern Driveways, on the border between Gurnee, Ill. And Waukegan Saturday. The explosion occurred Friday evening. (John Starks / Daily Herald via AP)
Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi said it was unlikely that the two missing employees survived the blast.
"The conditions are really difficult there," he said. "There is a lot of damage, there was a lot of fire everywhere."
Lenzi said that the rescue operations had been halted and that the teams would not continue the searches until the remaining parts of the factory had not been demolished.
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The investigators did not determine the cause of the explosion. The factory, which operated 24 hours a day, mixed chemicals and other materials to make silicone.
At least five nearby buildings were damaged, with windows on windows and broken doors, Lenzi said.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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