A 51-year-old worker was killed in an explosion at the Dow Chemical facility in North Andover, Mass., on Oct. 9, it has been confirmed.
An alert of an explosion at the facility on Willow Street was sent out shortly before noon last Wednesday and police officers, firefighters and emergency response units were sent to the site. The employee, who suffered severe burns, was take to a medical center in Boston where he later died from his injuries. The victim's name has not been released but a spokesman for the Essex County District Attorney confirmed that he was a 51-year-old man from Peabody, the North Andover Citizen reported.
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The man was working alone in the plant's laboratory when the blast occurred. The fire was quickly contained by the local fire department. Jeremy Cole, Dow's public affairs manager, commented that the facility sprinkler system was triggered immediately after the explosion and helped contain the fire until the fire department arrived. He added that the area was secure and that there was no risk for the community. Cole explained that the company was working together with authorities to investigate the cause of the explosion and said that at that point he was unable to provide any details about the incident.
Dow's facility in North Andover manufactures electronic materials that are used in producing LED lights, according to the North Andover Citizen.
