Third worker found killed in Waukegan plant explosion; one still missing
The body of a third worker killed in a fiery explosion at a Waukegan manufacturing plant was found Sunday and another person remains missing after rescuers spent the day sifting through the wreckage, authorities said.
Two other employees have been confirmed dead and three were injured in the Friday night blast at AB Specialty Silicones, 3790 Sunset Ave., on the city's northwest side.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but Waukegan Fire Marshal Steve Lenzi said Sunday it is believed to be accidental.
One of the victims has been identified as Allen Stevens, 29, of Salem, Wisconsin, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. He died about 11:50 a.m. Saturday, at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, the Cook County medical examiner's office reported.
A second victim was found at the plant Saturday morning, and rescuers spent about two hours Sunday retrieving the body of a third, Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper said in a news conference.
Autopsies for the two men are scheduled for Monday, he said, noting his office likely would not attempt to identify them until then.
Authorities believe one more employee remains missing in the wreckage, Cooper said. Rescuers halted their search at 7:15 p.m. Sunday and are expected to resume about 9 a.m. Monday, fire officials said.
“It's slow going. We can't go in there and do what we want to do quickly because the building is not structurally sound,” Cooper said. “We have to go in and be very careful. We can't risk anybody else getting hurt or killed doing this recovery effort.
“Certainly, we want to do what's best for the families, but we have to do it within reason.”
The Chemical Safety Board, an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents, announced Sunday it is sending a team to Waukegan to investigate the explosion.
The blast, which could be felt as far away as Buffalo Grove, gutted the manufacturing facility and damaged five neighboring buildings. Authorities estimate that damages top $1 million.
Nine workers were in the building at the time of the explosion. Two were able to escape without injury, Lenzi said, and four, including Stevens, were taken to the hospital.
The conditions of the other three employees who were hospitalized are unknown.
Waukegan Fire Chief George Bridges said during Sunday's news conference that the three workers who were unaccounted for after the explosion “actually saved the lives of their coworkers.” Authorities believe they alerted the other building occupants of issues taking place before the blast and helped them get out.
“Through this tragedy, I am again affirmed in my belief of the true heroism within our community,” Bridges said. “Words cannot express our sincere condolences to the families and a great appreciation to our first responders.”
Most of the work completed by the chemical plant is “very non-hazardous,” Lenzi said, noting silicone itself is not a hazardous substance. Officials have been interviewing personnel and trying to figure out what led to the explosion, he said. Foul play is not suspected.
“Something this weekend went horrifically wrong,” Lenzi said. “That's what our investigation is going to come up with.”
Mac Penman, the general manager of AB Specialty Silicones, said in a statement Saturday night that he was “shocked and heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred in our plant last night.”
More than 100 first responders helped battle the fire and search for the missing workers. None of the public safety personnel were injured, Lenzi said.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no record of violations at the plant in their online records that date back to 2001. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has no violations on their website, either, for records dating back to 2016.