LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two people are dead after an explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour plant on Payne Street in Louisville.
The company confirmed the deaths in an email to Spectrum News. “We are grieving with the families, friends and loved ones of those that were lost and injured during this very difficult time,” it said.
“We are in the early stages of investigating the cause of this incident and are cooperating with first responders and supporting agencies. We appreciate their heroic response and send our thanks to those in the community who have shown their support throughout the day,” it added.
The office of Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, announced it would hold a news conference at 10 a.m. on Wendesday at the Metro Emergency Operations Center to provide updates on the incident. It will include the mayor and the heads of other emergency services who have been involved.
Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky, expressed condolences on social media. "I hope everyone will join Britainy and me in praying for their families and the entire community," he said.
Twelve people were taken to UofL and Baptist Health hospitals in the explosion's aftermath.
At 3 p.m. Louisville Emergency Services and the Louisville Fire Department responded to an unknown explosion at the plant, formerly known as D.D. Williamson & Co. The plant changed its name to Givaudan in July 2023.
Greenberg joined the heads of the city’s emergency services divisions to update the situation just before 5 p.m. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, but all the company employees are accounted for.
One employee had to be rescued after the building collapsed, Greenberg confirmed. The mayor's office also confirmed late Tuesday evening that 12 people were taken to the hospital.
UofL Hospital said its emergency department received at seven patients. It has activated its decontamination unit and procedures. They added the Louisville Fire Department is also at the hospital helping with decontamination processes.
Just before 6 p.m., Dr. Jason Smith with UofL Hospital updated the status of patients at the hospital. Two of the seven patients were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The other five employees were all stable.
The mayor said officials spoke to employees inside the plant. “They have initially conveyed that everything was normal activity when the explosion occurred,” Greenberg said.
It isn’t known if any chemicals from the plant were released because of the explosion, but Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said they immediately started monitoring the air quality. None of the tests have detected anything unsafe in the air. But because it is ongoing, they are asking people to stay away from the area. He added, “If you’re in your home, stay in your home. If you’re not at home now, please be patient.”
The fire department is using new drone technology to monitor the air in the area. It will give them the most accurate and up-to-date readings.
At 4:46 p.m., a shelter-in-place order was lifted, but an evacuation order for two blocks surrounding the plant remains in place.
Louisville EMS issued the shelter-in-place order as a precaution and several homes near the plant were evacuated immediately because the explosion blew out the windows, leaving residents unable to shelter-in-place.
Clifton neighborhood resident Randy Crumley said he was in his Payne Street apartment when the explosion shook the entire area. He shares an alley with the plant and said he felt like his “house was collapsing.”
“It shook the whole place ... I thought, is this an earthquake? I mean, it must have been five, 10 seconds, at least,” Crumley said.
Givaudan has 12 operations around the world, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil. Malaysia and China. The company says it makes its coloring from natural sources, such as fruits and vegetables.
This isn’t the first serious incident at the plant. An employee was killed on April 11, 2003. According to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation, two employees were preparing a tub and began pumping product from a tank and adding a cornstarch powder called maltin. The tub was being heated by steam and it began to overflow. According to the report, the tub exploded killing one of the employees.
This is a developing story. We will add more details when they become available