THE BODIES OF two people missing at the site of a powerful explosion at a chocolate factory in the United States have been recovered, taking the death toll of the blast to seven.
The explosion happened on Friday afternoon at the RM Palmer Co plant in West Reading, about 60 miles north west of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania.
RM Palmer Co was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in West Reading.
West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag confirmed the discovery of the last two bodies, adding that none of the victims will be named until officials are certain that all families have been contacted.
She said: “Please understand that this is a devastating loss, but we are truly grateful to bring closure to the families involved in the upcoming days.”
Three buildings around the site will be condemned as a precaution, she said.
“This does not mean they are slated for demolition or uninhabitable,” she said.
“Simply that there will still be work happening around them as we proceed and they will need to be looked at further by structural engineers.”
We are still working diligently behind the scenes - please utilize us for resources if you were affected - I truly mean it when I say I am so proud of the community, the county, and I am so honored to be the Mayor of West Reading. pic.twitter.com/kWUCNqUh0a
— Mayor Samantha Kaag (@SamanthaKaag) March 27, 2023
One woman was pulled alive from the rubble early on Saturday after being located by a search dog.
Reading Hospital said it received 10 patients and transferred two to other facilities, while two others were admitted in good and fair condition respectively and the others had been discharged.
A statement from RM Palmer said everyone at the company was “devastated” and it was reaching out to employees and their families through first responders and disaster recovery organisations because its communication systems were down.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro vowed support from the state when he visited the scene on Saturday.
This was a tragic weekend in West Reading — but as the community comes together to rebuild, we look for the helpers.
— Governor Josh Shapiro (@GovernorShapiro) March 26, 2023
The search and rescue specialists, structural engineers, and K-9s of Pennsylvania's Task Force 1 worked through the weekend to save lives, and continue to do so.
Fire investigators are continuing to examine the scene to try to determine the cause of the blast.
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