Two contractors remain hospitalized this morning following Monday night’s explosion at the Westlake Chemical Plant in Sulphur, Louisiana.
While details regarding their condition have not been released, there have been reports that one of the six contract workers hurt in the blast sustained severe burns to over half his body.
Westlake Chemical Confirms 6 Contractors Injured in Explosion
The September 27th explosion erupted just before midnight at Westlake Chemical’s Petro 2 ethylene processing plant located along State Highway 108, roughly 21 miles from Lake Charles.
“I heard a loud bang, and then my entire house shook,” one Sulphur resident told KFLY-10. “So, I was just like, are we dead yet?”
While the first reports from the scene indicated that six people were injured in the blast, officials citing an incorrect tally had revised the number to five by the following day. However, early on Tuesday evening, Houston, Texas-based Westlake Chemical confirmed that six contract workers had, in fact, been hurt.
“All the individuals are employees of three contract firms,” the company said in a statement. “There was no offsite impact and there has been no fire as a result of the accident, which is under investigation.”
The six victims were initially taken to a nearby hospital, but two were later transferred to facilities in Hammond and Lafayette. So far, authorities have not identified any of the injured contractors or their employers.
Flash Fire Ignited During Westlake Chemical Plant’s Maintenance Turnaround
There’s still no word on what might have caused Monday night’s explosion, which has been characterized as a flash fire. According to Westlake Chemical, Petro Unit 1 was shut down for maintenance at the time, and the injured contractors were among those working on the turnaround.
In June, a fire erupted at the same facility’s Petro 1 Unit. Fortunately, no one was hurt in connection with that incident.
Monday night’s explosion at Westlake Chemical’s Petro 2 Unit remains under investigation.
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