Video footage from West Reading, Pennsylvania, captured the aftermath of a chocolate-factory explosion that officials say killed two people and left five missing
The blast occurred on Friday at the R.M. Palmer Company plant in West Reading, a town about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency said.
PEMA said an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the explosion, and that an initial incident report included reference to a gas leak. Seven other people were transported to local hospitals with injuries, PEMA added. R.M. Palmer Company said its email and phone systems were down following the blast and that it was relying on emergency authorities to get in touch with employees and their families.
"We will be providing additional information and making contact with employees, impacted families, and the community as soon as possible," the company said in a statement.Images on social media of the explosion's aftermath showed a vast pile of debris and massive flames letting off large plumes of thick black smoke, in a downtown area surrounded by other buildings.
R.M. Palmer Company was founded in 1948. It employs some 850 people and creates 500 unique chocolate and candy products, according to its website.
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