One dead in 'massive explosion' in Illinois town


One person died and four others were injured in an Illinois town on Friday night after an explosion at a silicone plant.
The blast occurred at AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, Illinois, which is about 40 miles north of Chicago. Joe Florip, a Waukegan police spokesperson, said he would “categorize this as a massive explosion” that damaged neighboring properties.
One person was found dead on Saturday morning. Two other people have been reporting missing, but police have suspended the search for them because of dangerous conditions around the plant and concerns about structural stability, CNN reports. Officials say it is unlikely they survived, CBS Chicago reports. Hazardous materials technicians are on the scene.
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The fire has been extinguished, however. No cause has been determined for the explosion, but authorities did say they have no concern about air quality.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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