Explosion occurs at Coshocton Grain Co.
COSHOCTON – According to a reporter on the scene, so far five people were taken to Coshocton Hospital and at least one person was taken to a hospital by MedFlight after an explosion at the Coshocton Grain Company.
The explosion occurred sometime around 4 p.m. at the company on Browns Lane. Several local fire departments were called to the scene, but officials are saying that everyone got out of the building. They, however, are worried about the possibility of a second explosion. Engineers from a Columbus fire department are on their way to investigate the safety of the structure.
The explosion caused businesses and homes nearby and also blocks away to shake.
“We were hanging out at a house by the high school and felt it shake,” said Gavin Jackson. “We went outside and saw dust in the air and ran over here.”
Jackson and another friend were at Camron Redman’s house on Stewart Lane.
“We were just sitting around and then all of sudden the windows shook,” Redman said.
The trio of friends saw debris from the explosion flying over Kids America and found a piece that had landed in the empty field by South Lawn Cemetery on Sixth Street.
The explosion also was felt at the Learning Center at The Meadows apartment complex, which is just down the street from the Grain Co.
“It shook the whole building,” said Amy Baker. “We went outside to see what happened and saw all the smoke and a noise that sounded like metal rattling.”
She and her daughter Abby Baker came up to the Grain Co. to see what had happened.
“They told us to move across the street because there could be another explosion,” Amy said.
Adrian Padilla’s business, Alpha Bits & Bytes, is located near the corner of Sixth Street and Browns Lane.
“It shook everything in the store,” he said. “As soon as it happened all this (the area across the street near the Grain Co.) was covered in white smoke.”
Michael McCormick, who works at a warehouse next to the Grain Co., also felt the force of the explosion.
“I heard the rafters (in here) rattle,” he said.
Coshocton Grain Co. has two facilities in Ohio and has expanded into Illinois. It also has 900 customers in 22 of Ohio’s southeast counties.
The company has been in Coshocton County since 1948 and had nearly five million bushels of corn and one and a half million bushels of soybeans come through its facility last year.
Editor’s note: Mark Fortune contributed to this story. We also encourage you to please check back tomorrow for more details.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
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