LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – In an overnight update, WAVE News obtained a statement from Givaudan Sense Color, confirming that two of their employees were killed in the explosion that rocked Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood on Tuesday, November 12th. It is not known. if any of them are among the 12 injured employees.

The full statement from Givaudan Sense Color below:

“Earlier today, there was an explosion at the Sense Color plant in Louisville, Kentucky. We are deeply saddened to share the news that two of our team members were killed in this accident today. As a result, several other people were injured. We mourn with the families, friends and loved ones of those lost and injured during this very difficult time.

City leaders said there is no ongoing threat to those in the immediate vicinity or the surrounding community. There have been reports of damage to some homes and buildings near the plant and we are in contact with first responders to support those affected.

We are in the early stages of investigating the cause of this incident and are cooperating with first responders and support agencies. We appreciate their heroic response and extend our thanks to those in the community who showed their support throughout the day.

Our priority at this time is our team members, the families of those we lost, and those who were injured in this accident. We are in touch with them and are committed to supporting them in the coming days and weeks.”

In an update sent around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Louisville officials said 12 Givaudan Sense Color employees were hospitalized after an explosion. Two of those employees were rescued by Louisville fire crews.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Smith said the University of Louisville Hospital is treating seven of those individuals. He said two of the victims were in critical condition and the other five were in stable condition. It is currently unclear if the two deaths are two of the original 12 hospitalized or if there were two additional victims found in the rubble of the exploded plant.

All seven patients referred to UofL Hospital underwent a decontamination process. Dr Smith said the process can take up to 15 minutes and involves removing clothing and any chemicals before taking them in for further treatment. Since personnel could not be sure exactly what chemicals the injured had been exposed to, they decontaminated for anything and everything that might have been contained in the plant.

Smith said they saw a variety of injuries from the blast, including multiple burn and blast injuries, as well as penetrating and blunt force injuries from the force of the blast and crush injuries from any debris that fell on the victims. Currently, no patient is bleeding significantly.

According to Smith, the hospital hasn’t seen an explosion like this in a while.

Baptist East Hospital is treating the other patients.

The explosion was reported around 3 p.m. Tuesday at 1901 Payne Street, which is a few miles east of downtown. Givaudan Sense Color is known as the former DDW factory.

Metro Louisville emergency services say the initial shelter-in-place order issued for those within a one-mile radius has been lifted. Those within a radius of two streets were evacuated.

“I had just come home twenty minutes before it happened,” said Marvin Croomes, who lives on Payne Street. “I was sitting there talking to my mum and out of nowhere there was a loud boom and it shook the house.”

Although the explosion could be felt and heard in the subway, its impact could be seen scattered throughout the Clifton neighborhood.

“We couldn’t get in for an hour or two,” said Eric Hart, a homeowner in the neighborhood. “They finally let us in and we were able to go and board up the windows that were blown out and see what happened there.”

The echoes of the explosion turned into the hum of circular saws. People along nearby Frankfort Avenue spent the night removing broken windows and assessing the damage.

“It just affected some glass, everybody was OK,” said Clifton property owner Jason Baker. “I have 4 kids and 2 businesses and that’s nothing.”

So far, no injuries have been reported outside the plant.

In an update, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said the cause of the explosion is unknown. Greenberg said everyone who worked at the facility and those around them were accounted for.

Givaudan team members who were inside said everything was working normally before the explosion.

Air monitoring in the area is clear at this time. Greenberg is asking the public to continue broadcasting with caution and avoid the area. No additional evacuations are planned.

Louisville officials are working to get more details from the company about what kind of chemicals were involved.

Businesses on Frankfort Avenue in Clifton reported damage from this explosion. These are the photos sent to us from Quills Coffee and Osaka Japanese Restaurant.

WAVE SkyTrack cameras captured the explosion from a distance. In the video, you can see a spark ignite before heavy smoke fills the air.