Worker's torch blamed for water plant explosion

Investigators have revealed the cause of the explosion that injured 10 people and caused a building collapse Thursday morning at a water treatment plant in the Far South Side Riverdale neighborhood.

The city's Office of Fire Investigations determined the explosion was caused by the use of a torch in an "area with significant amount of methane gas present," according to Fire Media Affairs. The torch ignited the gas, causing a shock wave that lifted the roof.

Fire Commissioner Jose Santiago said the department received a call about the explosion around 10:50 a.m. at the sludge concentration building at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant at 400 E. 130th St. The roof caved straight down in a pancake explosion, sending hundreds of thousands of pounds of concrete to the ground.

Eight of the ten people trapped were easily located and sent to the hospital, Santiago said, but the other two were trapped in the rubble.

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