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At least thirteen people were admitted to local hospitals after a metal and paint factory near Oakwood, Ohio, saw an explosion, with multiple fire crews responding to the situation. It was also reported that one person died in the explosion that took place on Monday, February 20, 2023, at the metal alloy factory at the I. Schumann & Co. building.
Fox 8 reported that witnesses said that the incident at the metal and paint factory that produces copper alloys, in Oakwood Village happened just after 2 pm.
The Fire Department said that one of the 13 injured people was in critical condition. WKYC reported that the person who died in the explosion was identified as 46-year-old Steve Mullins, who worked as a maintenance worker at the plant.
Netizens are stunned by news of the Ohio paint factory explosion
After news and videos of the explosion at Ohio's metal and paint factory near Oakland went viral, Twitterati was left in disbelief. Several users expressed their shock at back-to-back incidents endangering people's lives, with one suspecting that something was up.
Fire departments put out the fire by 5 pm
As per Fox News, Oakwood Village Fire Department's Captain Brian DiRocco said that he saw several burn victims at the scene of the incident. He added that one person was also transported to the hospital after being pulled out from the rubble.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that most of the fire at Ohio's metal and paint factory was out by 5 pm, and the fire crew was working on putting out hot spots. The explosion left debris scattered around the area.
Several rural fire departments responded to the situation in Oakwood. While speaking with CNN, Stephenie Davis stated that she was at her job in Oakwood Village when she felt the entire building start to shake. She saw a large black cloud of smoke coming from a building nearby.
When she and co-workers went to see what happened, they saw debris scattered around the parking lot. She said that the windows of the building in front of them were blown out with debris on the ground on fire, while there were some cars that were also damaged.
Speaking about the explosion near Oakwood, she said:
"Everyone was in shock and looking at their cars and the building where the smoke was exiting. We heard another smaller boom and everyone started to either get in their cars to leave or go back into their work building for safety."
Fire departments working on the incident have asked people to stay away from the area as they continue to work.
The explosion at Ohio's metal and paint factory comes days after a train carrying several toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio. One of the train carriages was carrying vinyl chloride, a highly combustible chemical used in plastic production.
As of writing, the cause of the explosion at the metal and paint factory is unknown.
