Six people were injured Wednesday in a chemical plant explosion at Westlake Chemical near Lake Charles, Louisiana, said a representative for the company.
Westlake Chemical South spokesperson Joe Andrepont told local media all injuries were minor, with five people transported to nearby hospitals and one treated with first aid on-site.
The explosion happened just before 11 a.m. and has been traced back to an empty ethylene dichloride storage tank. Because the tank was empty, the fire was easily contained, according to reports.
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The cause of the explosion is under investigation, Andrepont told the American Press. All shelter-in-place orders have been lifted because there are no environmental concerns, he said.
The Environmental Protection Agency said the chemical is primarily used in solvents for cleaning purposes and in the production of chemicals such as vinyl chloride.
Andrepont said local, federal, and state authorities have been notified of the explosion, including the Louisiana State Police and the Coast Guard.
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Westlake Chemical reported a similar explosion at a nearby plant in September, also injuring six people. The company referred to that incident as an “industrial accident” in an offline plant undergoing maintenance.
