According to officials, two girls and an employee reported missing following a huge explosion that ripped through a biofuels plant in Nebraska have been confirmed dead.
Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said, “My heart hurts.” “It’s a tragedy. We pray for all the families involved.”
According to Spellerberg, the two children were waiting for an employee to get off at Horizon Biofuels so they could attend a doctor’s appointment.
The exact age of the children is not known, but they are believed to be under 12 years. Authorities have also not revealed the identity of the children.
Carl Nielsen, an official at the city’s volunteer fire department, said the structure’s instability has made it difficult for crews to gain access as they work to put out the blaze. The fire kept burning despite rain overnight.
Nielson told reporters, “It’s going to be very slow.” He continued that authorities do not have a timeline for when they expect the bodies to be recovered.
The plant produces animal bedding and wood pellets for heating and smoking food, utilizing tons of wood waste.
Fremont Fire Chief Todd Bernt believes the facility stores wood and possibly alcohol-based compounds.
According to Bernt, first responders were confronted with “heavy smoke and a lot of flames” when they arrived at the complex, which is surrounded by other industrial and food processing plants.
In 2014, a fire at the building damaged the electrical system, but the building was intact, according to reports by the Fremont Tribune.
According to the mayor, investigators suspect that the fire was caused in the elevator portion of the plant.
Spellerberg said, “That’s really the only thing that makes sense.”
