Five workers injured in Georgia aluminum plant explosion

Jun. 29, 2016 – An explosion at Bonnell Aluminum plant in Newnan, Ga., has injured five workers and rocked buildings in the city’s downtown area. 

“Images from television helicopters showed a gaping hole in the plant’s roof, surrounded by pieces of crumpled metal,” according to The Associated Press.

The incident occurred this morning in the casting area of the plant, according to a statement on the company’s Facebook page.

“The plant immediately notified 911 and implemented our emergency response plan which calls for an evacuation of the area. During that process, we discovered that five employees were injured in the incident. One was airlifted to Atlanta Medical Center in Atlanta; two others were transported to the local hospital and two were treated on site. We are now in the process of notifying family members and offering whatever support they need during this challenging time,” the company said in the statement. “At this time, it’s too early to speculate on what caused the accident but we are working closely with local fire officials and others to conduct a thorough investigation.”

The company has temporarily shut down its operations to assess the situation.