Fuel Tank Explosion in Indiana Causes Injuries

A fuel tank explosion at a southern Indiana industrial plant in Scottsburg resulted in one man being taken to the hospital on November 19.

Just before 10 a.m. at Thomas Plastics near the 800 block of Armory Place, the explosion happened. According to the city’s fire chief, it’s believed a fuel tank or furnace exploded and led to other smaller explosions inside the mental warehouse. At that time, however, the underlying cause was still under investigation.

One employee was injured and flown to U of L Hospital. He was expected to survive after sustaining non-life-threatening burns to his arms. All other employees were accounted for at the time of the explosion and suffered no reportable injuries.

After the explosion, the Indiana Department of Transportation reported a road closure on U.S. 31 between Armory Place and Bellevue Avenue. Shortly after crews extinguished the flames, U.S. 31 was opened back up to traffic.

It took approximately an hour for firefighters to extinguish the flames. Scottsburg Fire Chief Hames Richey told WAVE 3 News that nine area fire crews responded to the scene, many of which were there to provide extra water for the massive flames. There were also excavators on the scene to breakdown buildings and expose hot spots that needed to be extinguished.

While the strong winds on that Thursday did not impact firefighters’ ability to put the flames out, smoke was blown throughout the community. As a result, the Scott County courthouse was evacuated, but all employees returned to work later in the day. Schools in the area were placed on lockdown as a safety precaution, and people in nearby homes and businesses were told to shelter in place.

While the fire was described as “significant,” the front part of the Thomas Plastics building was able to be saved. The back part, however, suffered severe damage from the explosion and fires. This is likely because of the propane and other chemicals inside the building at the time of the blast.

While it’s fortunate that no one was seriously injured, explosions have the potential to result in serious or even fatal injuries. In the event you’ve been involved in an explosion, whether you were at work or somewhere else, you may be able to pursue legal action if it can be proven that someone’s negligence contributed to the accident. To learn more, get in touch with Thomas Law Offices today.