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Multiple explosions rocked the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday morning, killing at least one worker and injuring dozens more.
Fire Triggers Multiple Explosions, Killing 1, Injuring Dozens
According to Allegheny County Emergency Services, the fire and explosions began around 10:51 a.m. at the massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania’s historic Mon Valley — a region long known as the heart of coal country and steelmaking in America.
In response to the catastrophic incident, an estimated 20 EMS agencies, 14 local fire departments, and 15 ambulances rushed to the scene, transporting victims to nearby hospitals.
Residents reported feeling their homes shake up to a mile away. One construction worker on a nearby site told local affiliate WTAE-TV, “it felt like thunder.”
Rescue Efforts Ongoing
As of 3 p.m. this afternoon, at least one worker remained unaccounted for. Emergency crews were still working to rescue the victim from the rubble.
During a 4 p.m. news conference, U.S. Steel Executive Vice President Scott Buckiso told reporters that the person remained missing, stating, “We think we know the general location of that employee, but we’re not 100% sure.”
Gov. Josh Shapiro commended first responders.
Meanwhile, family members of the victims are demanding answers from U.S. Steel. One woman, who fears her brother may have tragically died in the accident, expressed mounting frustration after the company failed to provide any information to her family, directing her instead to the “front gate” rather than to a crisis management spokesperson after calling the steel mill.
“It’s disgusting,” she told WTAE. “It’s heartbreaking. He has three kids who are messaging me every two minutes. We need answers. We need them now.”
Cause of Explosion & Shelter-in-Place Concerns
The cause of the explosions is now under investigation, though U.S. Steel confirmed that the incident occurred at coke oven batteries 13 and 14.
Coke oven batteries are rows of ovens designed to heat coal at extremely high temperatures in the absence of oxygen, with each “battery” typically containing dozens of ovens operating side by side.
The Clairton Coke Works plant is the largest coking operation in North America, employing roughly 1,300 workers and producing roughly 4.3 million tons of coke annually. This process is inherently dangerous because of the extreme heat involved and the production of “coke gas” —a toxic mix of methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide that can be hazardous if inhaled.
After an explosion, the blast can release not only coke gas but also combustion byproducts like sulfur dioxide, a colorless toxic gas that smells of rotten eggs and can be deadly at high concentrations.
As a result, The Allegheny County Department of Health continues to monitor the air quality, and advised residents within a mile of the plant to shelter in place.
U.S. Steel’s History of Safety Violations at the Clairton Plant
Operated by Japan-based Nippon Steel, the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works is one four major facilities that make up the company’s Mon Valley site— and it has a long record of entirely preventable accidents that have resulted in countless injuries and, tragically, multiple deaths.
Over the past two decades, serious incidents have struck the plant again and again:
- February 2025: A problem with a coke oven battery caused combustible material to build up and ignite, injuring two workers and sending them to the hospital with eye injuries.
- September 2009: A maintenance worker was tragically killed in an explosion.
- July 2010: Less than a year later, another explosion injured 20 people — including 14 employees and six contractors.
- Christmas Eve 2018: A major fire severely damaged the plant’s pollution control equipment, leading to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide that disrupted and deeply affected the community.
These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a dangerous pattern of putting production and profits ahead of worker safety.
The risks extend far beyond the plant’s gates. U.S. Steel has faced repeated Clean Air Act violations and lawsuits over its pollution. Just last year, the company agreed to spend $24.5 million on upgrades and local clean air programs in a federal settlement.
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