Explosion at NATO army ammunition plant in Missouri leaves one dead and four injured – The Sun

Officials said the explosion happened in a mixing building on site and the wounded employees have been taken to hospital

AN EMPLOYEE has died and four left injured after an explosion at a US Army ammunition plant today, officials said.

The blast happened at about 1pm in a mixing building on site at the Lake City plant, which operates the NATO test centre, in Independence, Missouri.

The wounded employees were treated on site and investigation is underway to established what caused the blast, authorities said.

Lieutenant Colonel Eric Dennis, Lake City Commander, told a press conference: "I want to express my condolences to the family of the Lake City plant employee who died today.

"Making ammunition is dangerous work and our employees risk their lives to protect our men and women in uniform.

"This is a sacrifice they make to support our country and I am humbled by the ultimate sacrifice this employee made today."

He said the name of the male employee was not being released pending next of kin notification.

Obital ATK Vice President and General Manager Jim Nichols saidthat the explosion was in a "primer manufacture facility", where various chemical agents are mixed to create the compounds used in ammunition

He added: "We mix those energetics at this facility to put in the primers that are installed in the round."

Mr Nichols alsosaid he had been saddened by the incident, adding: "We're a family out here at Lake City and today we lost a family member and our hearts truly go out to the family of the member we lost.

"We truly are saddened."

A spokeswoman for theArmy Joint Munitions Command said no other details, including what caused the blast, were immediately available.

The 77-year-old sprawling factory near Kansas City provides "quality small-calibre munitions and operates the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) test centre".

A statement on the plant's Facebook today said: "At approximately 1 p.m. today, there was an explosion at Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo.

"One employee was killed and four employees were injured.

"The four injured employees were evaluated on scene and refused further treatment.

"The explosion was in a primer mixing cell. The investigation is currently ongoing.

"The scene has been secured and the ATF has rendered the area safe so that we can begin determining what happened."

http://www.aaees.org

A further statement said that the factory would remain closed for the rest of the day and staff should call their "building hotline number" before returning to work tomorrow.

The plant - established in December 1940, with production beginning in 1941 - sits on nearly 4,000 acres and is the first of a dozen Army-run small-arms factories.

The property has more than 400 buildings and nine warehouses, and has a storage capacity of more than 700,000 square feet.

Its workforce includes 29 Department of Army civilians and a soldier to provide contract oversight.

It has a governmental staff payroll of $2.9 million.

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Explosion at NATO army ammunition plant in Missouri leaves one dead and four injured - The Sun