An investigation has been opened by the National Transportation Safety Board into the explosion that took place last week inside of a Pennsylvania chocolate factory which ended up leaving a total of seven people dead.
This explosion, which took place back on the 24th of March inside the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory located in West Reading, Pennsylvania, resulted in the deads of seven people and the hospitalization of a group of ten others.
One spokesman for the NTSB, Keith Holloway, explained to the Associated Press that the agency is looking into “what caused, how and why the explosion occurred.” Government officials think that a natural gas pipeline that is located nearby could be a possible reason for the blast.
UGI Utilities, an area electric and gas provider, is working alongside both federal and state authorities in their investigation.
“UGI expresses its heartfelt condolences to the victims and all those impacted by the tragic event at R.M. Palmer Company in West Reading on March 24, 2023. As a public utility, UGI is committed to the well-being of Berks County and all the communities we serve,” stated the company as part of a statement issued Tuesday.
“UGI Utilities knows that it is the Company’s responsibility to safely and reliably serve our customers. We take our responsibility seriously, and we are working with local authorities and state and federal agencies to determine the cause of the incident on March 24, 2023,” the statement went on.
The company is also announced it would be issuing a donation of $100,000 to the West Reading Disaster Recovery Fund.
So far, two of the victims have been identified by the Berks County Coroner’s office, but efforts to further identify those killed in the blast continue. Both Amy Sandoe, 49, and Domingo Cruz, 60, died during Friday’s explosion.
“The seven who we lost will always be in our prayers, and to those who were injured we wish a speedy recovery. Over the many years that we have worked together many became personal friends and all valued members of the Palmer team. Their loss will be felt forever,” explained the owners of the Chocolate factory in a release.
As a result of the explosion, the area surrounding the factory will be shut down to the public while police forces carry out their investigation and a team of public safety officials calculate the total damages.
“It will involve the removal of debris, clearing the area and making sure that buildings are safe to occupy,” concluded Police Chief Wayne Holben. “We are closely working with emergency response teams, environmental experts, and construction professionals to ensure that the cleanup is done safely, efficiently, and with minimal impact on the surrounding community.”
