The state of Pennsylvania’s surveillance cameras captured the moment a chocolate factory disastrously exploded, sending shockwaves through the area as it shook from the loud blast and causing its walls to crack.
A 28-second video clip posted on Twitter shows how the explosion occurred suddenly and without warning, while a thick plume of smoke rose over the building and shrapnel scattered in the air.
While the causes of the explosion are still unknown, the state’s emergency department said that the cause of the explosion could be “possibly a gas leak.”
🚨🇺🇸 #Pensilvania: At least 2 dead 7 injured and 9 missing in a massive explosion in a factory that produces chocolate in #Reading. pic.twitter.com/4AbpUGXuaw
— Terror Alarm (@Terror_Alarm) March 25, 2023
Meanwhile, the same authority said that two people had died and six others were missing, and that rescue teams were searching for survivors in the rubble.
It reported that the explosion occurred on Friday at the RM Palmer plant in West Riding, about 97 km northwest of Philadelphia.
The authority said an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the explosion, although an initial report indicated a gas leak.
The authority added that seven people were taken to local hospitals, but did not disclose details of the search and rescue operations.
Pictures on social media of the aftermath of the blast showed rubble piling up, flames and columns of thick black smoke billowing into the sky in a downtown area surrounded by other buildings.
RM Palmer says on its website that it was founded in 1948 and employs 850 people and makes 500 unique chocolate and candy products.