CLAIRTON, Pa. (WHTM) - Explosions at a U.S. Steel plant that shook the ground near Pittsburgh left one dead and sent at least 10 to hospitals Monday, with emergency workers still searching the badly charred rubble hours later for a missing worker, officials said.
One worker was pulled from the wreckage hours after the explosions sent black smoke spiraling into the midday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. A search and rescue effort was still active on Monday afternoon and officials said they had not isolated the cause of the blasts.
FILE - Part of the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works is seen May 2, 2019, in Clairton, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)This image provided by Amy Sowers shows smoke from the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025 in Clairton, Pa. (Amy Sowers via AP)FILE - A view of the United States Steel Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant, in Clairton, Pennsylvania, October 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
The explosion sent a shock through the community and led to officials asking residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond.
At a news conference, Scott Buckiso, U.S. Steel’s chief manufacturing officer, did not give details about the damage or casualties, and said they were still trying to determine what happened. U.S. Steel employees “did a great job” of going in and rescuing workers, shutting down gases and making sure the site was stable.
The Allegheny County Health Department said it lifted an advisory it issued earlier in the day telling residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors and close all windows and doors. It said its monitors have not detected levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.
The Clairton Coke Works, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania.
The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. According to the company, it produces 4.3 million tons (3.9 million metric tons) of coke annually and has approximately 1,400 workers.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency were "in touch with first responders and have offered all assistance."
"Please join Lori and me in praying for the Clairton community," the governor posted on social media, referring to his wife.
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U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, who formerly served as the mayor of nearby Braddock, called the explosion “absolutely tragic” and vowed to support steelworkers in the aftermath.
“I grieve for these families,” Fetterman said. “I stand with the steelworkers.”
He said he was monitoring the explosion. "Keeping those injured and all who are impacted in my thoughts right now," he said.
Lt. Gov. Austin Davis shared that he knows people who work at the plant and that he and his wife "are praying for the workers and their families."
In June, U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel announced they had finalized a “historic partnership,” a deal that gives the U.S. government a say in some matters and comes a year and a half after the Japanese company first proposed its nearly $15 billion buyout of the iconic American steelmaker.
The pursuit by Nippon Steel for the Pittsburgh-based company was buffeted by national security concerns and presidential politics in a premier battleground state, dragging out the transaction for more than a year after U.S. Steel shareholders approved it.
In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a “buildup of combustible material” that ignited, causing an audible “boom,” the Allegheny County Health Department said. Two workers who got material in their eyes received first aid treatment at a local hospital but were not seriously injured.
In recent years, the Clairton plant has been dogged by concerns about pollution. In 2019, it agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit for $8.5 million. Under the settlement, the company agreed to spend $6.5 million to reduce soot emissions and noxious odors from the Clairton coke-making facility, on the Monongahela River about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh.
The company also faced other lawsuits over pollution from the Clairton facility, including ones accusing the company of violating clean air laws after a December 2018 fire damaged the Clairton facility’s sulfur pollution controls.
Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi said his heart goes out to the victims of the explosion.
“The mill is such a big part of Clairton,” he said. “It’s just a sad day for Clairton.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
