Officials in Louisville mourn the victims of an ‘unthinkable’ factory explosion as they investigate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Emergency crews assessed the damage Wednesday after a explosion of a chemical factory left two people dead and several others injured.

The blast occurred Tuesday afternoon at the Givaudan Sense Color facility in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood. Although several nearby homes and businesses were damaged, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill confirmed that investigators have not yet found any evidence that hazardous chemicals were released.

Mayor Craig Greenberg said about a dozen people were taken to a hospital, including one person who died. A second deceased person was found in the building just after midnight.

On Wednesday morning, Greenberg held a moment of silence for the two people who died during a press conference. Neither person was publicly identified out of respect for their families.

Stefanie Lauber, head of corporate communications at Givaudan Sense Color, told The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the two people killed were employees. Lauber said the company is “deeply saddened” by what happened.

There is no immediate threat to the surrounding community, she added, and Givaudan is investigating and cooperating with authorities.

“This is an incredibly sad and tragic incident,” Greenberg said at the news conference. “These two deceased individuals were going to work on an ordinary day to care for their families when the unthinkable happened.”

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What happened in the factory explosion?

The explosion happened shortly after 3pm local time on Tuesday and could be heard for miles. Firefighters arrived on the scene about three minutes later, O’Neill said Wednesday.

Jody Meiman, executive director of Louisville Metro Emergency Services, said about 300 calls to 911 were received in the aftermath, about triple the amount the city would receive on a normal day at that time. A one-mile shelter-in-place order was in effect for about an hour after the blast but was then lifted.

“This was a company we are familiar with,” O’Neill said. “Our companies inspect their first-alarm area very well. They know what’s there. So we knew right away that we were not only dealing with a fire, but also a structural collapse and also a hazardous materials incident.”

Still, he says it is “extremely difficult” to respond to such a scene after an explosion. Firefighters helped evacuate several people from the scene, including one victim who was partially buried. The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, he said, but should be determined during the investigation.

Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer at the University of Louisville Hospital, said doctors treating victims encountered a “spectrum of injuries” consistent with an explosion, including blast injuries, thermal injuries and injuries from falling debris.

It was initially believed that all employees were spotted shortly after the explosion, Greenberg said. But O’Neill said it became clear later that evening that one person had not been found. Firefighters continued their search, he said, and found the second victim fatally injured “in an area amidst the rubble” just after midnight.

“This is a discipline that needs to evolve very slowly because of the potential for a secondary collapse,” he said.

‘I heard it and felt it in the ground’

Clifton resident Arthur Smith was walking along Spring Street, about a half-mile from the facility, when the explosion rocked the city.

“I heard it and felt it in the ground,” he said Tuesday afternoon. “I’ll tell you what, it got your attention.”

Karen Roberts, assistant community director at nearby Axis in Lexington, was showing an apartment to a potential tenant when she heard the explosion.

Tenants at the 300-apartment complex on nearby Lexington Road rushed to their balconies to see what was happening, she said. The apartments lost power for about 10 seconds, temporarily locking out some residents.

“It was so loud. I couldn’t believe it,” she said after fielding calls in her office as police rushed to the scene a few blocks away. “…You can practically see the plant in some people’s back windows.”

Owners of Witches Brew Coffee, which opened on Frankfort Avenue in late August, shared a video from inside their business at the time of the explosion. The explosion shifted works of art hanging on the walls of the coffee shop.

Witches Brew Coffee suffered no external damage, although other businesses were less fortunate. Several businesses on Frankfort Avenue closed Tuesday afternoon after their windows were shattered, including Beckman Fitness and Quills Coffee.

O’Neill did not have an initial count of the number of homes or businesses that suffered damage.

Some homes may still have debris in their yards, Greenberg said. He urged residents not to remove debris or touch damage, but instead asked to call MetroSafe to assist investigators. Homeowners with damaged homes should also contact their insurance companies, he said.

‘We hear the neighbors’ concerns loud and clear’

Payne Street resident Jacob Hayden questioned the wisdom of allowing a factory to operate in a densely populated area, noting that a similar incident occurred at the same factory about 21 years ago.

“There shouldn’t be a factory in a residential area if you ask me. Not at all,” Hayden said. “The company needs to be looked at for a long time.”

The earlier explosion took place in April 2003which killed one worker and involved a “massive release of ammonia,” The Courier Journal reported. The factory was operated by DD Williamson & Co. at the time of that explosion, which later turned out to have been caused by a feed tank that was under overpressure. It reopened later that year and has since been purchased by Givaudan.

Givaudan, a manufacturer of food dyes, was hit with two citations last year by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District: one for failing to file annual reports and monitor and record equipment ranges, and another for failing to file notices of excess emissions, as required. according to district regulations. Both cases were resolved through settlements with the district for a combined amount of $7,500.

Greenberg said he has heard concerns from neighbors about the plant, and that they will be taken into account after emergency response efforts are completed.

“Today is not the day to have those conversations with the company. We are focusing on the victims and their families, finding out what happened (and) providing support to all the victims’ families,” he said on Wednesday. “But we hear the neighbors’ concerns loud and clear and that will certainly be something we think about as we talk about the future.”

Givaudan representatives were invited to Wednesday’s news conference but did not attend, Greenberg added.

“Our priority now is with our team members, the families of those we have lost and those injured in this accident,” Lauber said in an email Wednesday. “We are in contact with them and want to support them in the coming days and weeks.”

Reporters Leo Bertucci and Connor Giffin contributed to this article. Contact The Courier Journal news team at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Chemical factory explosion in Louisville leaves two dead: ‘Sad and tragic’