At Least 1 Dead, 10 Hospitalized in Steel Plant Explosion

Safety at Work

Clairton, PA (WorkersCompensation.com) – At least one person is dead, another 10 have been hospitalized after an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania on Monday.

The explosion, which could be felt up to two miles away, was captured on video and showed black smoke billowing into the sky as part of the building looks to have been sheared off. Rescuers were combing through the rubble in search of survivors Monday night, authorities said.

At least one person was still missing late Monday afternoon. The blast happened around 11 a.m. at U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Plant near Pittsburgh. The blast appeared to have occurred in two of the coke oven batteries, authorities said.

The dead employee was not identified and was the one of two individuals who had initially been unaccounted for. Officials said five people were transported to the hospital were in critical but stable condition. Another five people were sent to the hospital then treated and released. Officials said a number of other individuals were treated on the scene, but an exact number wasn’t provided.

"Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees and the environment. We are working closely with relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident and will provide additional updates as they become available," David B. Burritt, president and CEO of U. S. Steel Corporation said. "Nearly 1,300 dedicated men and women work at the Clairton Plant each day, performing their jobs with the utmost safety. During times like this, U. S. Steel employees come together to extend their love, prayers, and support to everyone affected." 

A worker at the plant, Joshua Pershing, told the New York Times he was in another building when the explosion happened, and felt the building shake because of the blast.

“Next thing I knew, guys were running in, saying something just blew up,” Pershing told the Times. “We don’t know who’s alive and who’s gone. But pray for their families.”

Officials had little information on the extent of the injuries employees suffered or what cause the blast. The Clairton plant covers hundreds of acres along a mile-long bend of the Monongahela River. Officials said there the coke ovens showed no signs of damage before the explosion.

“Safety is our No. 1 priority every day, every shift, 365,” Scott Buckiso, an executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer of U.S. Steel, said. “So, obviously, this is a tragedy that we want to understand.”

United Steelworkers Union leader Bernie Hall said the union would be calling for an investigation into the explosion.

"While we are still determining the scope of the tragedy, we are aware that multiple workers are receiving medical treatment for their injuries," Hall said. "In the coming days, we will work with the appropriate authorities to ensure a thorough investigation and to see that our members get the support they need."

The Allegheny County Police Department said its homicide unit would be leading the investigation.

Clairton Mayor Rich Lattanzi said he heard that the explosion happened in the "reversing room between thirteenth and fifteenth battery," which is part of the control system of the coking factory.

"They have a tough job, and it’s a dangerous job," Lattanzi said told Fox News. "My heart bleeds for every one of them and their families."

The plant is the largest coke manufacturing facility in the U.S., the company said on its web site. The site has 10 operating batteries of coke ovens that produce a total of nearly 4.3 million tons of coke annually, the company said.

The facility is more than 100 years old and processes coal into coke. Coal arrives at the plant by train and barge and is converted into coke to fuel the blast furnaces that help to manufacture steel. The plant has come under criticism has environmental groups recently. Residents have complained about pollution while critics have said the plant has not had proper maintenance. A sprinkler pipe failure in 2018 led to a Christmas Eve plant fire, while there were power outages reported at the plant in 2019 and 2022.

In 2024, the company reached a settlement with Allegheny County and two environmental groups where it agreed to invest $19.5 million to upgrade the coke oven gas cleaning facilities.

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