A survivor of a burning Pennsylvania factory explosion fell into a tub of chocolate

News

From the Associated Press

April 1, 2023 | 1:41 in the morning

A woman pulled alive from the rubble of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory after an explosion that killed seven co-workers says flames engulfed the building and her arm when the floor beneath her gave way.

That might have been the end of it if she hadn’t landed in the liquid chocolate.

The dark liquid extinguished her burning hand, but Patricia Borges broke her collarbone and both heels.

She would spend the next nine hours screaming for help and waiting for rescue as firefighters battled the inferno and helicopters thumped overhead at the RM Palmer Co. factory.

“When I started burning, I thought that was the end of me,” Borges, 50, told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview from her hospital bed in West Reading, Pennsylvania, just minutes from the chocolate factory where she worked as an operator. on a machine.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board interviewed Borges on Friday, according to her family.

The March 24 explosion at RM Palmer killed seven of Borges’ colleagues and injured 10.

Federal, state and local investigations are ongoing.

The cause has not been determined, but the federal Transportation Safety Board has characterized it as a natural gas explosion.

“Everything is on the table at this point because we’re not done with the investigation yet.” To say it’s one way or the other, I wouldn’t say that at this stage,” Boehm said.

Two state police firefighters are working to determine the cause and origin of the blast, he said.

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which regulates workplace safety, was also on site.

Natural gas was not the only possible cause.

Chocolate companies and other food manufacturers should take steps to reduce the risk of fire and explosion from combustible dust made from ingredients such as cocoa powder and corn starch, said Holly Burgess, technical manager for industrial and chemical safety at the National Fire Protection Association. defense, a nonprofit group that produces hundreds of codes and standards.

Burgess said smaller particles that stay aloft pose a greater hazard than larger particles that quickly fall to the floor.

Food manufacturers must determine the flammability of the dust, perform a hazard analysis, and then take steps to manage it.

“Each batch is different, so the chocolate material in the cocoa I get from one place may have a larger or smaller particle size. So that’s where they usually have to do their own testing,” Burgess said, speaking generally and not about the situation in Palmer.

Commercial ovens and furnaces and commercial refrigerant using ammonia are other major explosion hazards in food establishments, she said.

Records from OSHA, the federal workplace safety agency, show just one violation at the West Reading plant in the past five years.

In 2018, an employee lost the tip of his finger while cleaning a ball valve with pneumatic pressure.

The company agreed to pay a fine of $13,000.

In January, records show, OSHA fined more than $12,000 after an inspection at RM Palmer’s plant in nearby Wyomissing.

Details about that case were not immediately available.

RM Palmer said in a statement over the weekend that everyone at the company was devastated and it was reaching out to employees and their families through first responders and disaster recovery organizations as its communications systems were down.

“The tragic events that occurred on Friday have had a profound impact on all of us at RM Palmer, and we appreciate the outpouring of support as we all continue to deal with the loss of our friends and colleagues,” the company said on Facebook Sunday.

The company has not commented further. He did not respond to questions from The Associated Press on Monday.

The Berks County Medical Examiner’s Office identified two of the victims as Amy Sandow, 49, of Ephrata, and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Redding, and said “further forensic examinations” will be needed to positively identify the other five victims . Autopsies are expected to be completed by the end of the week, officials said.

Rescue teams used thermal imaging equipment and dogs to search for possible survivors after the blast destroyed one building and damaged a neighboring building.

Crews used heavy equipment to methodically and carefully remove the debris from the scene, according to Police Chief Wayne Holben.

Three buildings around the site were closed as a precaution pending further investigation by structural engineers to ensure their safety.

Authorities said they had no information on the condition of a woman pulled alive from the rubble early Saturday.

Mayor Samantha Kaag said she was apparently on the second floor and was found in “hopeful circumstances”, calling rescuers despite her injuries after a dog found her.

A hospital in Reading said it had admitted 10 patients and transferred two to other facilities, while two others were admitted in good and satisfactory condition respectively and the others were discharged.

Dr. Charles Barbera, the hospital’s president and CEO, said one of the admitted patients was discharged Monday.

UGI spokesman Joe Swope said the company found leaks in several locations at street level some distance from the plant after the gas was turned back on and completed repairs.

“The company believes they are unrelated to the Palmer explosion,” he said.