An incident occurred on Monday shortly before 3:30p.m. ET at one of our Airgas (NYSE: ARG) USA, LLC Mid America region facilities on Route 62 North in Poca, Putnam County, West Virginia.
Several explosions occurred in a concrete-enclosed cylinder storage area located outside of the main plant, which resulted in a fire. The cylinders contained acetylene, a flammable gas commonly used in welding applications. The main plant was safely shut down and a neighboring business was reported to be evacuated as a precaution. A portion of Route 62 was also closed to traffic.
Two employees were taken to Cabell-Huntington Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The immediate concern was to secure the area and ensure the safety of our associates at the facility, as well as the safety of the surrounding community.
The fire has been extinguished and was contained to the storage area. An investigation as to the cause is underway. We are working with the local authorities and emergency personnel on the scene.
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