On November 12, 2024, drone photos showed damage to the Givaudan Sense Color factory in Louisville, Kentucky, USA after an explosion.
Michael Clevinger | Reuters
An explosion in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday killed two people and injured many others, prompting the government to issue a shelter-in-place order.
An explosion occurred in a neighborhood east of the city center at about 3 p.m. local time, injuring 12 people, some of whom were life-threatening, officials said.
Food and cosmetics company Givaudan said an explosion occurred at its Sense Color factory, killing two team members. It was unclear whether the two people who died were among the 12 injured.
The city’s emergency services posted on X that a “hazardous materials incident” occurred at the factory, which produces natural food coloring. Louisville Metro Police said officers blocked roads around the location.
This is the scene of a “large-scale incident” The Louisville Fire Department said on. The shelter-in-place order issued Tuesday afternoon was lifted about an hour later.
Fire Chief Brian O’Neill told reporters the response was for explosions, structural collapses and hazardous materials incidents. He praised workers for their emergency response, which rescued most people.
Firefighters rescued one trapped person and assisted others in escaping the building.
“As soon as the fire was extinguished, we began air monitoring of the immediate area,” O’Neill said. “You may have heard about the evacuations; that was a precautionary measure.”
He added that the order was ordered because authorities did not know what they were facing and that air monitoring was continuing. Officials said some people were evacuated because their windows were blown out and they could not take shelter indoors.
O’Neill said there are no chemical issues in the air that are cause for concern. Monitoring will continue as structural problems could cause new leaks, he said.
Video from NBC affiliate WAVE A residential street in Louisville is home to a large number of police and emergency service vehicles.
Firefighters and trucks were about two blocks away from where police tape blocked the road.
WAVE anchor John Boel posted video from the station’s Sky Orbit camera, which he said captured the moment of the explosion in Clifton, where the fire started.
The shelter-in-place order was later lifted.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg praised first responders, who he said saved lives, and expressed his condolences to those affected.
“My heart goes out to those hurt by this tragedy and we will continue to do everything we can to help these families,” Greenberg said. said in a statement.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation. He said a reconstruction team from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traveled to Louisville on Tuesday to provide assistance.
Givaudan said it was cooperating fully with investigators and called the actions of first responders heroic.
“Our first priority right now is our team members and the families of those killed and injured in this incident,” the company said. “We are in contact with them and are committed to supporting our team in the coming days and weeks. They provide support.”
