Last week’s fatal blast at a Pennsylvania chocolate factory highlighted the combustibility of food plants in general and chocolate making in particular.
The powerful explosion Friday at R.M. Palmer Co. killed seven people, sent 10 to the hospital and damaged several other buildings in West Reading, a small town 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia, where the 75-year-old, family-owned company has long had a factory.
Local, state and federal investigations are ongoing. Pennsylvania State Police have said “everything’s on the table,” as fire marshals try to pinpoint the origin and cause. Some workers told relatives they smelled natural gas before the blast, although the gas utility UGI said it received no reports of a gas leak. On Tuesday, federal officials said they were investigating the role of a natural gas pipeline in the explosion.