The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office has issued a report on the deadly KMCO plant explosion, detailing, among other things, efforts by several employees to head off disaster that tragic morning.
KMCO Explosion Left 1 Worker Dead, Critically Injured 2 Others
The April 2, 2019 explosion at KMCO LLC’s manufacturing plant in Crosby, Texas erupted shortly before 11:00 a.m., as workers were mixing a batch of sulfurized isobutylene.
KMCO later confirmed that a 27-year-old man from Daisetta, Texas had died in the blast. Two other workers suffered critical injuries and were airlifted to trauma centers in Houston.
People living around the KMCO plant and students in several schools were forced to remain indoors for hours as crews worked to bring the resulting fire under control.
Deceased KMCO Worker Left Explosion-Proof Room
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office is one of several state, federal, and local agencies investigating the KMCO plant explosion. According to The Houston Chronicle, its report confirms the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s conclusion that the catastrophe was caused by the sudden failure of cast iron material in a flow line, resulting in a leak of highly flammable isobutylene.
In the moments before the explosion, several workers sprang into action once the leak was discovered.
They included the man tragically killed that morning, who donned protective gear before leaving the safety of an explosion-proof control room. Crews recovered the worker’s body later that day near Gate 4 on Ramsey Road, his air tank still strapped to his waist. According to the report, he had suffered a fatal cut to his right upper arm, likely from a sharp object that had been propelled by the blast.
Other Workers Evacuated KMCO Plant, Attempted to Stop Leak
A second worker was heard on the radio urging others to evacuate just before he attempted to activate a fire monitor at one of the tanks and turn off the boilers. A third was on his way to meet a process operator and evaluate the reactor area where the leak originated.
Employees then heard a pop followed by a whooshing noise. The small leak had grown, creating a large, white cloud of isobutylene vapor that could be seen wafting through the plant.
A loud boom was heard moments later, followed by several smaller explosions.
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