An explosion at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory on Friday left two people dead and five people missing. Eight people were injured during the blast.
The blast happened at the R.M. Palmer Co. factory just before 5 p.m. One building was completely destroyed, and a nearby building suffered damage in the explosion. Officials are still working to determine what caused the explosion.
Eight people were brought to Reading Hospital, with two admitted in fair condition and five others being treated and released. One victim was transferred to another hospital, according to Tower Health spokesperson Jessica Bezler. No other info was provided.
Rescue crews worked using dogs and imaging equipment to search for survivors in the rubble. One person was pulled from the debris overnight, giving rescuers hope that they would be able to uncover additional survivors.
“It’s pretty leveled,” West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag said of the area where the explosion happened. “The building in the front, with the church and the apartments, the explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet forward.”
Kaag said that no evacuations were ordered, but people were asked to steer clear of the area. Some residents of the damaged apartment building could not return to their homes.
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