4 injured in electrical incident at dairy plant in Pennsylvania
Four people were injured in an electrical incident at Dairy Farmers of America's plant in Wilmington Township, Lawrence County, on Wednesday morning.
The four people were injured in an "electrical arc flash," according to a spokesperson for Dairy Farmers of America. One person was flown to the hospital, another taken by ambulance, and two others were treated for minor injuries, officials said. However, their exact conditions remain unclear.
In a statement, the spokesperson added, "We take safety very seriously… we will continue to work with appropriate local emergency personnel and outside experts as we continue efforts to safely resume operations at the plant."
Janet Ryder of nearby Ryder's Restaurant said it "sounded like a transformer blowing up." She said she doesn't remember anything like this happening at the plant before. She has lived in the area since the plant was built years ago.
"This is electrical; something bad could have happened there," Ryder said. "Thank God, it didn't."
The company said it's investigating the circumstances behind what happened. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration also confirmed to KDKA that it has opened an investigation into the incident.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted on social media that state agencies in agriculture, emergency management, and police are in touch with those local leaders, offering any assistance they may need.
