Two people are dead and seven are missing after an explosion rocked a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday, authorities said. 

Six people were also taken for medical attention in the blast at R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading, 63 miles northwest of Philadelphia, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency said.

A spokeswoman for Reading Hospital said eight people were brought to the facility. One was transferred, two were in fair condition and the others were released, said the spokeswoman, Jessica Belzer, of Tower Health.

Fire and smoke at the scene of an explosion in West Reading, Pa., on Friday.
Fire and smoke at the scene of an explosion in West Reading, Pa., on Friday.Courtesy Renèe Rivera

The cause of the blast was unclear. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Images posted on social media showed massive flames tearing through the building and a tower of smoke after the arrival of fire fighters.

Richard M. Palmer Sr. founded the company in 1948.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

How to upgrade your beach bag (or tote) this summer

With half of all U.S. adults now fully vaccinated, the travel industry…

Ohio girl, 16, fatally shot after her father thought she was an intruder, mother says

A 16-year-old Ohio girl was fatally shot by her father after he…

Sam Altman is tech’s next household name — if we survive the killer robots

Sam Altman may be tech’s next household name, but many Americans probably…

Keystone Pipeline to Fully Restart After Oil Spill

Business System operator TC Energy says a critical branch of the 2,700-mile…