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Two Injured In Explosion At Specialty Gas Facility In WV
By: WOUB Contributing Writer
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Two employees at Airgas in Putnam County, West Virginia have been burned during an explosion Monday afternoon.
Emergency crew at the scene say the two men were taken to Cabell-Huntington Hospital with first and second-degree burns, but the injuries do not appear life threatening.
The explosion was reported just after 3 p.m. Monday at Airgas along Route 62 in Black Betsy, which is between Poca and Bancroft.
During the incident, six Acetylene tanks exploded, according to emergency responders. The explosions then caused a fire inside the building.
The tanks that exploded were used in the welding process.
Emergency crews say during the explosion one employee was burned on his face. The other man suffered burns to his arms.
When crews arrived on the scene, flames were coming from the supply company. It took crews about 30 minutes to extinguish the fire.
A business next door to Airgas, Modular Building Components, was evacuated as a precaution.
Route 62 is closed in Black Betsy. Drivers are asked to avoid the area.
According to the company's website, Airgas is the United States' largest supplier of industrial, medical, and specialty gases and related equipment, safety supplies and MRO products and services to industrial and commercial markets.
Several agencies from Putnam and Kanawha County responded to the scene.