DECATUR, Ill. (AP) 鈥 An explosion and fire at a soybean processing facility in Illinois injured eight employees over the weekend and sent a tower of smoke into the air, officials said Monday.
The explosion occurred at the east plant in the Archer Daniels Midland processing complex shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday in Decatur, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Chicago, the agricultural company said in a statement on its website.
Six of the eight injured workers were taken from the scene by ambulance with the 鈥渆xtent of injuries unknown,鈥 Battalion Chief Wade Watson with the Decatur Fire Department said in a statement Monday morning.
ADM said in a statement early Monday afternoon that five employees remained in hospitalized 鈥渞eceiving treatment for their injuries鈥 and added that the company's 鈥減riority is providing our injured colleagues and their families support.鈥
The explosion was followed by a large plume of dark smoke high above the facility in a .
The Chicago-based company said the plant where the explosion occurred produces soybean oil and white flake for soybean protein production. That plant is currently idle and ADM's adjacent corn processing plant is 鈥渁lso temporarily down until we can safely resume operations," the company said.
鈥淭he main fire was extinguished overnight, and we are continuing to closely monitor and assess the extent of the damage to the complex as we investigate the cause of the incident,鈥 ADM said.
The Decatur Fire Department said a fire crew remains on the scene monitoring hot spots and the cause of the explosion and fire remains under investigation.
The explosion is the second episode at the plant in less than a month, the reported. On Aug. 28, two Decatur firefighters required hospital treatment after they battled a large fire at the plant. In that instance, crews found heavy fire in a processing tank that was spreading into adjacent tanks.
