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Equipment Failure Sparks Steel Mill Explosion

The blast showered the facility with chunks of hot white refractory.

On Thursday, an explosion shook an ArcelorMittal steel mill in Burns Harbor, Ind.

According to the company, the blast was caused by a stove dome failure in a blast furnace. 

The company's on-staff fire department successfully battled the blaze with local emergency personnel. 

The fire was contained and nobody was injured in the accident, but the explosion showered the facility with chunks of hot white refractory, according to local reports. 

Refractory is the blast furnace lining that protects it from the high temperatures of making steel.

The plant is located on Lake Michigan, about 20 miles outside Chicago. 

The explosion is now under investigation.

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