Kansas Grain Elevator Explosion Kills Three

Tragedy struck in Kansas on Saturday night after an explosion at a grain elevator. According to a news report, three workers are dead and three are still missing after the explosion Saturday night in Atchison, Kan., and two workers were left critically injured. Authorities are still not completely certain exactly what caused the explosion at the elevator run by Bartlett Grain Company, but fires and explosions at grain elevators are a leading hazard for the industry as airborne dust particles from grain are flammable and highly explosive.

According to news reports, the explosion occurred around 7 p.m. CDT Saturday, shaking homes and businesses within four miles of the location. Residents reported hearing and feeling the explosion and one local resident living within half a mile of the site reported the lights across the neighborhood where he lives flickered for about 30 seconds after the blast.

The explosion and resulting fire occurred as workers were loading corn onto a train but the exact cause of the accident is not yet known. Two workers were confirmed dead after the explosion while two more are currently in critical condition in the burn unit at University of Kansas Hospital in Kansas City, Kansas. The three people still unaccounted for after the explosion were reportedly two state grain inspectors and one worker from the grain elevator company.

Atchison is located in northeastern Kansas and the fireball from the explosion was reportedly seen in neighboring Missouri.

As of Sunday morning, fire crews had been unable to enter the facility due to the extreme danger involved and train traffic near the site of the explosion was rerouted. It was reported that four workers who were at the elevator at the time of the explosion were able to escape without injury. No names associated with the explosion have been released prior to proper notification to families.

Explosions at grain elevators are a leading hazard for the industry. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that over the past forty years there have been 600 explosions at grain elevators across the country, leading to over 250 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries.