Steel Mill Furnace Explosion Leads to Serious Injuries

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Eight people were reported injured following explosion at a Colorado steel mill. The explosion took place at EVRAZ’s electric arc furnace (EAF) steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado. A few of the injuries are serious, confirmed a mill labour union member.

The call about the explosion reached Pueblo Fire Department at around 6PM local time on Saturday. The firefighters who rushed to the site were interrupted by nearly 130 tons of steel inside the furnace, which was at its maximum temperature. They had to wait for the metal to cool down. The fire spread to three different levels of the building. Assistant Fire Chief Keith Miller described the incident a ‘rare event’. The cause of the fire is still not known. The company spokesperson said that the investigations are still on.

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According to United Steelworkers of America (USW) Local 2102, a total of seven people were transported to the hospital, in addition to one person who went on his own. Out of this, five were treated and discharged. 2 are still in the intensive care unit (ICU) and one has been shifted to a burn unit in Denver.

EVRAZ North America is part of EVRAZ plc, which also operates steelmaking facilities in Russia and the Czech Republic.