BRKG Chocolate Factory Explosion ,West Reading PA.

jward

jward

passin' thru
Here's an actual article, if you're one of those not allowed to begin threads with a tweet:

Has no more info than any of the tweets, but there wasn't much to choose from:
6 Hospitalized In West Reading Factory Fire, People Trapped: Reports
Maureen Mullarkey
~2 minutes

WEST READING, PA — A West Reading chocolate factory went ablaze on Friday evening, and several people are trapped inside, multiple reports said.

An explosion at R.M. Palmer Company, located 77 S 2nd Ave near Route 422, was reported before 5 p.m., 6abc reported.

Berks County fire crews are on the scene and one person has been rescued from the rubble, officials said.
Find out what's happening in Philadelphiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This is a developing story. Be sure to follow Patch for more updates.
Find out what's happening in Philadelphiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
patch.com

6 Hospitalized In West Reading Factory Fire, People Trapped: Reports

An explosion, followed by massive flames, continues to fume the chocolate factory Friday evening, reports say.
patch.com patch.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
MASSIVE explosion at RM Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania
Chris King
2–3 minutes
Emergency crews are currently at the scene of a large explosion that occurred at the RM Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

A massive explosion at the RM Palmer chocolate company in West Reading, Pennsylvania, has seen multiple emergency crews deployed this afternoon, March 24. There are reports of people trapped and injured inside the partially collapsed building which is said to be a 3-alarm turnout for fire crews.

The sound of the explosion has been reported by people living miles away from the blast. It is believed that a gas leak caused the explosion, but there has been no official confirmation from the authorities as yet.

According to a post on the Facebook page of the Susquehanna Valley Tribune, at least six people are thought to be trapped in the rubble.

This video is from my house, less than a half a mile from Palmer’s Chocolate Factory. Absolutely heartbroken for the victims of the explosion. pic.twitter.com/th0V6B45xG

— BasedIn410 (@Based_In410) March 24, 2023

This is a breaking news story and we will try to keep you updated as more information becomes available, thank you.
euroweeklynews.com

MASSIVE explosion at RM Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania

A massive explosion has occurred at the RM Palmer chocolate factory located in West Reading, Pennsylvania, with people reportedly trapped
euroweeklynews.com euroweeklynews.com
BasedIn410
@Based_In410

Rlying to
@rawsalerts

This video is from my house, less than a half a mile from Palmer’s Chocolate Factory. Absolutely heartbroken for the victims of the explosion.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1639398856163983360
View: https://twitter.com/Based_In410/status/1639398856163983360?s=20
 
greysage

greysage

On The Level
Aging infrastructure, lack of private maintenance, dumb accident, or another nefarious act against another food production operation?
 
T

toxic avenger

Senior Member
The natural gas infrastructure in PA is from the 1800’s. A few neighborhoods in Reading and Allentown blew up over the past two decades, forcing the PA public utility commission to mandate the gas utility (UGI) to perform line replacements in certain areas. Would not be surprised if this were the case. Pretty much everything in Reading runs on gas
 
Macgyver

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Millwright

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
Barry Natchitoches said:
Arsonists? SleeperCells?

Illegal immigrants paid to set fires?
Click to expand...

OIP.WyTqILAHEJJguUGEvb0-ewHaHa
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.

2 dead, 9 unaccounted for after chocolate factory fire in West Reading: Officials​

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion coming from the candy factory, then saw flames shortly after.

1679709488586.png

Friday, March 24, 2023, 9:52PM

WEST READING, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Two people are dead after flames erupted from a West Reading chocolate factory Friday evening.

According to West Reading officials, two people are dead, and nine are unaccounted for.

There is an unknown number of hospitalizations and injuries at this time, according to police.

Berks County fire crews were on the scene. The fire was reported just before 5 p.m. at the RM Palmer Company.

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion coming from the candy factory, then saw flames shortly after.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas leak, but officials are still investigating.

Officials say this was a four-alarm fire.

There is no word yet on the condition of those hospitalized. Officials have also not released the victims' names.

News video here:

6abc.com

2 dead, 9 unaccounted for after chocolate factory fire in West Reading: Officials

Witnesses reported hearing an explosion coming from the candy factory, then saw flames shortly after.
6abc.com 6abc.com
 
Blacknarwhal

Blacknarwhal

Let's Go Brandon!
night driver said:
Flour dust or chocolate dust.
NatGas is another consideration.
I'm leaning towards lack of dust abatement.
Click to expand...

Flour is way more flammable than people realize. Eighth grade science teacher had an apparatus he'd use toward the end of the year to demonstrate dust explosions. Basically it was a coffee can with a couple tubes he could run into it. He'd put in a candle, I think, and some flour. He could blow into the tube from outside the can. Then he'd add flour, light the candle, and blow into the tube to stir the flour. Six-foot-tall gout of flame would blast upward out of the can. It was amazing.
 
D

Double_A

TB Fanatic
Blacknarwhal said:
Flour is way more flammable than people realize. Eighth grade science teacher had an apparatus he'd use toward the end of the year to demonstrate dust explosions. Basically it was a coffee can with a couple tubes he could run into it. He'd put in a candle, I think, and some flour. He could blow into the tube from outside the can. Then he'd add flour, light the candle, and blow into the tube to stir the flour. Six-foot-tall gout of flame would blast upward out of the can. It was amazing.
Click to expand...

Be nice to read the last 2-3 Fire Dept inspections and review a Haz Materials Inventory (which includes a map) (I forget the form name/#)
 
bev

bev

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I swear I noticed the smell of chocolate after watching that explosion! No lie!
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Guessing sugar, like all those flours and grain dusts, is also quite explosive.
Buildings look way old, to boot, which of course has a whole nuther set o problems.



Explosion at R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in Pennsylvania leaves 2 dead, others missing and injured​


Elizabeth Pritchett



An explosion at a historic chocolate factory in southeastern Pennsylvania left two people dead, several missing and eight injured Friday afternoon.
West Reading Borough Police Department Chief Wayne Holben confirmed two fatalities and nine missing after an explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. chocolate factory in West Reading shortly before 5 p.m.
Tower Health spokeswoman Jessica Bezler told The Associated Press in an email that eight others were taken to Reading Hospital with injuries Friday evening. Bezler said two people were admitted in fair condition and five others were treated and released.
She added that one victim was transported to another facility. Limited details are available on that person's condition.
OHIO METAL ALLOY FACTORY EXPLOSION KILLS 1, INJURES MORE THAN A DOZEN OTHERS
Two people are dead and nine are missing after an explosion at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania.


Two people are dead and nine are missing after an explosion at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania. (WTXF/Screengrab)
Firefighters responded to the facility on South 2nd Avenue in the heart of the town after reports of an explosion and a multi-alarm fire, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported. The outlet's weather camera captured the massive explosion, which sent large debris flying into the air and left a cloud of thick, billowing smoke.
The blast caused significant destruction, leveling R.M. Palmer's Building 2 and causing damage to Building 1.
Holden said there was no further danger but advised residents to avoid the area surrounding the factory until further notice. He also said investigators are working to determine the cause of the explosion.
EXPLOSION ERUPTS AT TEXAS CHEMICAL PLANT IN SUBURBAN HOUSTON, ONE PERSON INJURED
Officials said at least nine people were still missing hours after the explosion that leveled a building at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania.


Officials said at least nine people were still missing hours after the explosion that leveled a building at the R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania. (WTXF)
Liz Soto, who was near the explosion, told FOX 29 she heard "a loud noise, like a roaring sound, then the house shook." She also said she hadn't heard from a friend who works inside the factory.
"She went to work, she's confirmed to have gone to work, but we don't know anything about her," Soto told the outlet.
As of late Friday night, various fire departments remained at the scene.
The powerful explosion blew out a window in a nearby restaurant and knocked the doors off another building.


The powerful explosion blew out a window in a nearby restaurant and knocked the doors off another building. (WTXF)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
According to R.M. Palmer's website, the company has been in business since 1948 and has over 850 employees at the headquarters in West Reading.
FOX 29 Philadelphia's SkyFOX captured smoke rising from the crumbled remains of a building after an explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania.


FOX 29 Philadelphia's SkyFOX captured smoke rising from the crumbled remains of a building after an explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading, Pennsylvania. (WTXF)
The candy factory is known for its seasonal novelties, like chocolate Easter bunnies, and is one of America's largest and most innovative confectioners.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
www.foxnews.com

Explosion at R.M. Palmer chocolate factory in Pennsylvania leaves 2 dead, others missing and injured

A devastating explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. Chocolate Factory left two people dead, nine missing and eight injured. Authorities are working to determine the cause of the blast.
www.foxnews.com www.foxnews.com
 
Bud in Fla

Bud in Fla

Veteran Member
Lots of possibilities already mentioned but don't forget FJBs new war on propane is also a possibility. Don't know how but whatever it was I'm sure the FBI/CIA/etc. have ways of convincing people to cooperate in making things happen.
 
Last edited:
W

willowlady

Veteran Member
Blacknarwhal said:
Flour is way more flammable than people realize. Eighth grade science teacher had an apparatus he'd use toward the end of the year to demonstrate dust explosions. Basically it was a coffee can with a couple tubes he could run into it. He'd put in a candle, I think, and some flour. He could blow into the tube from outside the can. Then he'd add flour, light the candle, and blow into the tube to stir the flour. Six-foot-tall gout of flame would blast upward out of the can. It was amazing.
Click to expand...
Right. Which is why I would never use flour to try to put out a grease fire. Even as a young wife, I knew to grab the pan lid and slam it on there (gotta move fast), suffocating the flames.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
1679760377089.png

  • Mar 25, 2023 Updated 27 min ago
WEST READING, Pa. — West Reading officials shared a bit of good news Saturday morning, more than 17 hours after an explosion and 4-alarm fire reduced a chocolate factory's building to rubble.

The borough's police chief announced during a news conference that rescue crews pulled a person alive from beneath the mounds of debris overnight.

"The discovery of life overnight, of the overnight recovery efforts, provides hope that others still may be found," said Chief Wayne Holben.

Officials did not provide any additional information about the survivor, including the extent of injuries.

The chief said rescue crews are using specialized equipment and techniques to locate additional signs of life in the rubble.

The blast happened just before 5 p.m. Friday at a building on the R.M. Palmer Company property on South Second Avenue, just off Penn Avenue.

"It's pretty leveled," Kaag said of the building. "The building in the front, with the church and the apartments, the explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet forward."

As of Saturday morning, officials confirmed the deaths of two people, disputing an earlier statement by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency that five people were found dead in the rubble.

They said five people remain missing and approximately eight people were transported to nearby Reading Hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Two people were admitted in fair condition and five were being treated and would be released, Tower Health spokeswoman Jessica Bezler said in an email. One patient was transferred to another facility, but Bezler provided no further details.

Authorities are investigating the possibility that a gas leak may have been responsible for the explosion according to a PEMA spokesperson, but Kaag told the media on Saturday that investigators will be exploring all possible causes.

Kaag said she declared a state of emergency for the borough early Saturday morning.

"This declaration is strictly to gather more resources for emergency responders on scene," Kaag said in a prepared statement during the news conference.

Pictures here:

www.wfmz.com

Person pulled alive from RM Palmer rubble in West Reading

"The discovery of life overnight, of the overnight recovery efforts, provides hope that others still may be found."
www.wfmz.com www.wfmz.com
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.

Seven dead..............​

:(

Officials ID 2 Victims of West Reading Chocolate Factory Blast​

A 49-year-old and a 60-year-old who died in the blast were identified by the Berks County Coroner's Office on Monday​

Updated 14 mins ago​


Officials in Berks County have released the identities of two of the seven people who died in an explosion that occurred at a chocolate factory in West Reading on Friday.

On Monday, the Berks County Coroner's Office said Amy Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, died in the blast.

The remaining victims have not yet been identified.

The coroner's office said that additional recovery efforts at the site are ongoing "in order to ensure no additional
victims remain."

"The Coroner’s Office has recovered the remains of seven individuals in total. Additional forensic medical examinations are required to positively identify the five remaining victims," the office said in a statement.

The office also said that it is conducting death investigations to determine the cause and manner of death of each of the victims.

Autopsies, the office said, are expected to be completed by the end of week.

Officials have also said that the identities of the victims will not be released until there is confirmation that all family members have been contacted.

A woman who survived the explosion was pulled from the rubble in the early hours of Saturday morning. The extent of her injuries have not yet been detailed by officials.

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as new information becomes available.

www.nbcphiladelphia.com

Officials ID 2 Victims of West Reading Chocolate Factory Blast

On Monday, the Berks County Coroner's Office named two victims -- a 49-year-old and a 60-year-old -- who died in an explosion at a chocolate factory in West Reading.
www.nbcphiladelphia.com www.nbcphiladelphia.com
 
TKO

TKO

Veteran Member
I wonder if Hershey's will quit making white chocolate candy...as they might consider it racist.
 
P

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane

R.M. Palmer Company: Judges orders Pennsylvania agency to produce inspection records related to chocolate plant blast | 6abc.com

Pa.%20utility%20regulators%20must%20turn%20over%20inspection%20records%20to%20the%20NTSB%20as%20part%20of%20its%20probe%20into%20a%20fatal%20explosion%20at%20a%20chocolate%20factory%20last%20year.
6abc.com 6abc.com

JUDGES ORDERS PENNSYLVANIA AGENCY TO PRODUCE INSPECTION RECORDS RELATED TO CHOCOLATE PLANT BLAST​

The powerful natural gas explosion leveled one building, heavily damaged another and killed seven people.

By 6abc Digital Staff
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 10:53PM ET

WEST READING, Pennsylvania -- Pennsylvania utility regulators must turn over inspection records to the National Transportation Safety Board as part of the federal agency's probe into a fatal explosion at a chocolate factory last year, a federal judge ruled this week.

U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner sided Tuesday with the federal safety board in its dispute with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which had refused to produce inspection and investigation reports for UGI Utilities Inc.

UGI is a natural gas utility at the center of the probe into the March 24, 2023, blast at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading. The powerful natural gas explosion leveled one building, heavily damaged another and killed seven people. Investigators have previously said they are looking at a pair of gas leaks as a possible cause of or contributor to the blast.

RELATED | 7 victims killed in West Reading chocolate factory explosion identified
13045696_032923-wpvi-victims-id-reading-10pm-video-vid.jpg

7 victims killed in West Reading chocolate factory explosion identified


State utility regulators had spurned the federal agency's request for five years' worth of UGI inspection records, citing a state law that protects "confidential security information" about key utility infrastructure from public disclosure, even to other government agencies.

The utility commission offered federal investigators a chance to inspect the reports at its Harrisburg office or to sign a nondisclosure agreement, but the safety board refused and then issued a subpoena.

The safety board said the records are vital to its investigation because they include state utility regulators' assessment of the condition of UGI's pipelines, as well as leak or odor complaint investigation records for the gas utility. The agency argued that federal regulations entitled it to the state investigation records.

"These reports are also vital to determine whether the commission conducted oversight of UGI's pipeline system in compliance with federal regulations," federal prosecutors, representing the safety board, wrote in their March 29 petition asking the court to enforce the subpoena.


In its response, the state agency pointed out that federal investigators had already obtained some of the requested records from UGI itself, and argued in a legal filing that federal law does not automatically preempt conflicting state laws.

Conner gave utility regulators seven days to produce the subpoenaed documents, but said they could do it in a way that complies with state law.


"From the beginning, the PUC has underscored a commitment to assist the NTSB with this investigation - while also complying with the Commission's legal obligation to safeguard confidential security information," said Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, a spokesperson for the utility commission.

He said the judge's decision was made as a result of discussions between the two agencies.

SEE ALSO | West Reading community comes together 1 year after deadly chocolate factory explosion

An NSTB spokesperson declined comment. The federal investigation into the blast is ongoing.

About 70 Palmer production workers and 35 office staff were working in two adjacent buildings at the time of the blast. Employees in both buildings told federal investigators they could smell gas before the explosion. Workers at the plant have accused Palmer of ignoring warnings of a natural gas leak, saying the plant, in a small town 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, should have been evacuated.

Palmer was fined more than $44,000 by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for failing to evacuate. Palmer denied it violated any workplace safety standards and contested the OSHA citations.
Report a correction or typo
Copyright © 2024 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

(Video at the link)
 
Elza

Elza

Veteran Member
Blacknarwhal said:
Flour is way more flammable than people realize. Eighth grade science teacher had an apparatus he'd use toward the end of the year to demonstrate dust explosions. Basically it was a coffee can with a couple tubes he could run into it. He'd put in a candle, I think, and some flour. He could blow into the tube from outside the can. Then he'd add flour, light the candle, and blow into the tube to stir the flour. Six-foot-tall gout of flame would blast upward out of the can. It was amazing.
Click to expand...
I was going to write the same thing. Mine took place in chemistry class in high school.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top