2 Dead, 3 Injured in Explosion at Miami-Area Industrial Complex

2 Dead, 3 Injured in Explosion at Miami-Area Industrial Complex
Miami-Dade fire rescue officers stand by emergency trucks in Surfside, Fla., on July 2, 2021. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images
Caden Pearson
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An explosion and huge fire at an industrial complex in Medley, Florida, left two people dead and injured three more on Tuesday morning, police said.

The explosion shot a massive fireball and a plume of black smoke into the air, video from a nearby surveillance camera showed.

Two people lost their lives in the incident, Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said.

Two others were in critical condition and receiving treatment at a local trauma center, while a third person was treated at the scene, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said.

The fire was finally put out at approximately 10 a.m. local time. The identities of the victims have not been released.

According to Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue, emergency crews responded to an explosion at about 8:42 a.m. on Tuesday morning in the 11300 block of Northwest S. River Drive.

Welding businesses and a truck-cleaning company are listed as operating at the address of the explosion.

“Upon arrival, firefighters found a large plume of smoke and heavy fire coming from multiple vehicles,” Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue reported in a Twitter post, sharing footage from the scene captured by CBS Miami.
Chopper footage from local media showed heavy black smoke and flames pouring out of multiple structures and multiple vehicles on the scene. A fuel truck completely engulfed in flames appeared to be the epicenter of the fire.

While the fire seemed to be confined to one business, several cars were destroyed as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.

Miami-Dade Deputy Fire Chief Danny Cardeso described the scene as “very hazardous” with “multiple vehicles burning with flammables” and “multiple power lines down.”

“That, coupled with five people in total needing rescue and needing care, it was a very challenging scene,” he told reporters.

Officials from Miami-Dade Police confirmed an investigation into the blast is underway, conducted by arson unit investigators and homicide detectives. “Right now investigators are still trying to find out exactly what caused this combustion,” Miami-Dade Police Det. Luis Sierra told NBC Miami.
Medley comprises mostly industrial and commercial complexes. It is located about 12 miles northwest of downtown Miami.

Ohio Plant Explosion

The deadly explosion and fire at the Medley welding business comes just a day after another explosion at a metal manufacturing plant in Oakwood Village of Bedford, Ohio.

The Ohio explosion, which occurred on Monday at the I. Schumann and Co. metals plant, resulted in the death of at least one person and injuries to 13 others.

The plant produces copper, brass, and bronze alloys.

Witnesses told News 5 Cleveland that there were two explosions, the first being small, followed by a much stronger second explosion around 2:30 p.m.

Thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky after the explosion, and fire departments from across northeast Ohio were called in to address the fire.

Smoke rises from a metal manufacturing plant after an explosion in Bedford, Ohio, on Feb. 20, 2023. (Eric Downing via Reuters)
Smoke rises from a metal manufacturing plant after an explosion in Bedford, Ohio, on Feb. 20, 2023. Eric Downing via Reuters

The plant is located about 70 miles north of East Palestine, Ohio, where a train derailment on Feb. 3 released toxic chemicals, and about 15 miles southeast of Cleveland.

Following the explosions, I. Schumann and Co. issued a statement confirming injuries to its employees and significant damage to the facility.

“We will work alongside investigators in their search for answers as part of our commitment to Northeast Ohio, where we have been operating for more than 100 years,” the family-owned factory said in a statement.

The cause of the explosions remains unclear.

Oakwood Fire Department Captain Brian DiRocco on Monday afternoon told reporters on the scene that 13 of those injured were taken to hospital. Many of them sustained burn wounds, and one person was being treated on-site.

One person was taken by LifeFlight helicopter and flown to a hospital for treatment, reported News 5 Cleveland.
Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report.
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