December 9th – Today’s Russian TV reported on the 9th that on the evening of the 8th local time, a DuPont chemical plant in West Virginia, USA exploded and caused a fire.
Local residents were told to “shelter in place”. There are no casualties at present, and the cause of the explosion is not clear.
Kent Kaper, the governor of Canawaha County, announced on the evening of the 8th: “We have encountered a very serious explosion accident and a burning fire. We think it may have been caused by barges in the factory river area.”
Although it is not clear whether the explosion is related to volatile chemicals, Carper said that there is a smell of chlorine, an irritating odor, around the scene, but it has not been confirmed.
According to official information from Kanawaha County, the “Shelter in Place” order only applies to the area around the chemical plant at a “two-mile radius”.
This reportedly includes nearby towns such as Mamet, Chesapeake and Chelien.
DuPont subsequently issued a statement saying that an unknown “accident” occurred at the factory, and that people at the scene were trying to control the fire, but did not provide other details.
The statement did not mention the explosion and the cause of the explosion, and it is not clear whether anyone was injured.
