At least two dead
Chocolate factory explodes in Pennsylvania
03/25/2023, 6:47 p.m
A candy factory in the United States went up in flames for reasons that are still unclear. Rescue workers manage to pull survivors out of the rubble that night, but for at least two people any help comes too late. Not much is left of the company itself after the accident.
Several people died when a candy factory exploded in Pennsylvania. Two deaths could be confirmed at this time, said the police chief of the small town of West Reading, Wayne Holben. During the night, a victim was found alive under the rubble and six people were taken to medical facilities. Other people would still be missing. There is conflicting information about the exact number of dead. The civil protection of the state speaks of at least five fatalities.
The explosion at the RM Palmer Company factory in West Reading happened just before 5pm local time on Friday, local TV station WFMZ reported. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Not much can be saved from the building, it was said at a press conference with city and police representatives. “Unfortunately (the factory) was razed to the ground. There is not much left to save from the building,” said West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag. “In the front area, by the church and the apartments, the explosion was so strong that it displaced the building by a meter (…),” she added.
TV footage after the blast showed a fire blazing in the rubble as firefighters tried to douse the blazes. According to police chief Holben, there is no further danger for residents. However, you should avoid the area if possible.
The building was erected in the 1960s, it said at the press conference. Sweets have been produced in the factory for many years. According to its website, RM Palmer has been making seasonal chocolate products since 1948 – including Easter bunnies and heart-shaped candies for Valentine’s Day. A good 4,000 people live in West Reading – the small town is almost a hundred kilometers from the metropolis of Philadelphia.
