1 dead, 1 injured in explosion at petroleum plant near Chicago

An explosion at a suburban Chicago petroleum plant killed one person and injured a second Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said one person was confirmed dead and a second was transported to a hospital in Joliet following the explosion at Seneca Petroleum in Lemont, Illinois. The condition of the injured person, who was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, was not immediately available, CBS Chicago reported. 

The blast at Seneca Petroleum happened at around 9:30 a.m. local time, according to the news station. Authorities said it was potentially caused by an asphalt tank that exploded on the property.

The sheriff’s office said fire and emergency crews were at the scene after the explosion and they had controlled a fire. Officials also said that the time that there were no hazardous materials posing threats to the surrounding community. The explosion knocked out some power lines in the area, according to the sheriff.

“Fire personnel do not believe that any type of hazmat situation has occurred and there is no danger to the public,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration was called to the scene of the explosion, along with officials from ComEd.

Lemont is a village located in Cook, DuPage, and Will counties southwest of Chicago.