A mortal explosion at a chemical plant in Louisville, Kentucky Tuesday is now under investigation.

The explosion occurred around 15:00 local time at the Givaudan Sense Color facility, blowing out windows in the surrounding area. Louisville Metro Emergency Services called the situation a “hazardous materials incident” on the X.

Louisville Fire Department Chief Brian O’Neill said during the press conference that upon arrival, the department knew they were dealing with more than just a fire. Instead, there was a structural collapse and a hazardous materials incident.

Aerial drone footage of the blast site shows the damage it left behind. City officials said the explosion also damaged several nearby homes and businesses.

See exploding drone footage of the damage left behind in Louisville

Two people died in the explosion

“The first victim died at the hospital and died from injuries sustained in the blast,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “The second victim was found in the rubble last night when Louisville firefighters returned to the building to confirm that everyone had been found.”

“There will be an investigation into exactly what happened,” O’Neill said. “I know many of you are probably worried about what actually happened. Why did it happen? And I’ll apologize in advance, we don’t have those answers right away, that will be part of the investigation.”

Louisville Metro Emergency Services Executive Director Jody Meiman said they were working to evacuate the area.

“We only evacuated a block and a half area to the people who were directly involved and mainly because they couldn’t shelter in place because their windows were broken from the blast,” he said. “Some of the firefighters who were not assigned inside the building knocked on the doors. We got the people who needed to get out of the area to a certain location where they were safe.”

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Two victims were employed at Givaudan Sense Color

Stefanie Lauber, head of corporate communications for Givaudan Sense Color, told The Courier-Journal of the USA TODAY NETWORK that the two killed in the explosion were hired, saying the company is “deeply saddened” by what took place. There is no immediate threat to the surrounding community, she added, and Givaudan is investigating and cooperating with authorities.

Dr. Jason Smith, the chief medical officer at the University of Louisville Hospital, said doctors who treated the victims encountered a “spectrum of injuries” consistent with an explosion, including blast injuries, thermal injuries and lacerations. from falling debris.

Initially, all employees were believed to have been accounted for shortly after the explosion, Greenberg said. But O’Neill said later in the evening that it had become clear that one person had not been found. Firefighters continued their search, he said, and found the second fatally wounded victim “in an area in the center of the rubble” just after midnight.

Mayor Greenberg observed a moment of silence for the two people who were killed, who have not yet been publicly identified out of respect for their families.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, food recalls, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email them at [email protected]. Follow her further Instagram, nature and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louisville factory explosion: Drone footage shows scene of devastation