Current:Home > FinanceDrone footage captures scope of damage, destruction from deadly Louisville explosion -SecureNest Finance
Drone footage captures scope of damage, destruction from deadly Louisville explosion
View
Date:2025-04-16 07:38:30
A deadly explosion at a chemical facility in Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday is now under investigation.
The explosion occurred around 3:00 p.m. local time at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility, blowing out windows in the surrounding area. The Louisville Metro Emergency Services called the situation a "hazardous materials incident" on X.
Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O'Neill said during the press conference that upon arrival the department knew that they were not only dealing with a fire. Instead, there was a structural collapse and a hazardous materials incident.
Aerial drone footage at the scene of the explosion shows the damage that it left behind. City officials said that the explosion also damaged several nearby homes and businesses.
See drone footage of damage explosion left behind in Louisville
Two people were killed in the explosion
“The first victim passed away at the hospital and died as a result of the injuries sustained in the blast,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at the Wednesday morning press conference. “The second victim was found in the rubble late last night as Louisville firefighters went back into the building to confirm that everyone had been accounted for.”
“There's going to be an investigation to exactly what happened,” O'Neill said. “I know many of you are probably concerned at what actually happened. Why did it happen? And I'm going to apologize in advance, we don't have those answers immediately, That is going to be a part of the investigation.”
Executive Director Louisville Metro Emergency Services Jody Meiman said that they worked to evacuate the area.
“We only evacuated about a one and a half block area to the people that were directly involved, and it was mainly because they couldn't shelter in place because their windows were broken out due to the explosion,” he said. “Some of the the firefighters that weren't assigned inside the building, knocked on doors. We got the people that needed to get out of the area to a certain location where they were safe.”
Investigation:JetBlue plane apparently struck by gunfire in Haiti continued safely to New York
Two victims were employees at Givaudan Sense Colour
Stefanie Lauber, head of corporate communications for Givaudan Sense Colour, told The Courier-Journal, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, that the two people killed in the explosion were employees, saying the company is "deeply saddened" by what took place. There is no immediate threat to the surrounding community, she added, and Givaudan is investigating and cooperating with authorities.
Dr. Jason Smith, University of Louisville Hospital's chief medical officer, said doctors who treated victims dealt with a "spectrum of injuries" consistent with an explosion, including blast injuries, thermal injuries and injuries from falling debris.
Initially, all employees were believed to have been accounted for shortly after the explosion, Greenberg said. But O'Neill said later in the evening it became clear one person had not been found. Firefighters continued their search, he said, and found the second victim fatally injured "in an area into the center of the rubble" just after midnight.
Mayor Greenberg held a moment of silence for the two people who were killed, who had not yet been publicly identified out of respect for their families.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY.
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, food recalls, health, lottery, and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
veryGood! (99)
Related
- Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
- Taylor Swift Has a Mastermind Meeting With Deadpool 3’s Shawn Levy and Ryan Reynolds
- AP Week in Pictures: North America
- Man accused of drunken driving can sue Michigan police officer who misread a breath test
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Carjacking call led police to chief’s son who was wanted in officers’ shooting. He died hours later
- What is Gaza’s Ministry of Health and how does it calculate the war’s death toll?
- Man who allegedly killed Maryland judge found dead
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Former President George W. Bush to throw out ceremonial first pitch before World Series opener
Ranking
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- White House says Russia is executing its own soldiers for not following orders
- Best Buy recalls almost 1 million pressure cookers after spewed contents burn 17 people
- Powerball winning numbers from Oct. 25 drawing: Jackpot now at $125 million
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Arizona Diamondbacks take series of slights into surprise World Series against Texas Rangers
- 'Shock to the conscience': 5 found fatally shot in home near Clinton, North Carolina
- And the First Celebrity Voted Off House of Villains Was...
Recommendation
B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
Son of federal judge in Puerto Rico pleads guilty to killing wife after winning new trial
Federal judge rules Georgia's district lines violated Voting Rights Act and must be redrawn
A blast killed 2 people and injured 9 in a Shiite neighborhood in the Afghan capital Kabul
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
What are Maine's gun laws?
Huawei reports its revenue inched higher in January-September despite US sanctions
Tennessee attorney general sues federal government over abortion rule blocking funding