An explosion at an Eastman Chemical plant in Kingsport, Tenn. released large plumes of black smoke on Wednesday morning.
According to CBS News, there were no injuries reported with the accident. But workers and some nearby residents were temporarily asked to shelter in place as a precaution.
The incident happened exactly 57 years after an accident at the same manufacturing complex killed 16 and injured hundreds. At a news conference, Eastman's senior vice president, David Golden, called this week's accident a "terrible coincidence" with the 1960 explosion.
“We feel deeply and remember the events of October 4, 1960,” Golden said. “As part of our legacy, we have worked hard to improve our process safety so that never, ever happens again. Today is just a stark reminder of the importance of process safety … the importance of quick evaluations and air monitoring. I would say those secondary systems worked well today.”
The Eastman facility is located at a manufacturing complex north of Knoxville and on the border with Virginia.
According to Eastman, a “process upset” near a part of the plant that deals with coal gasification caused the “loud noise and visible plume.”
On Tuesday, Eastman announced that it would be conducting a series of in-plant warning system tests at the Kingsport facility this week. The company reported that nearby residents may hear alarms going off, through Wednesday afternoon.
Eastman’s Kingsport manufacturing site was founded in 1920 and produces chemicals and other products used in paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals and more.
