Photo: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images
Authorities say two more people have been found dead after the devastating explosion at RM Palmer Company in West Reading, Pennsylvania.
The two victims are believed to be the two people who were previously missing.authorities said during a briefing Sunday night. The explosion has claimed the lives of seven people.
A chocolate factory in Pennsylvania has exploded. The RM Palmer Co. plant exploded unexpectedly.
One potential cause might’ve been chocolate dust, which just like many other types of dusts, can create big explosions pic.twitter.com/khVAuzQZPl
— LogKa (@LogKa11) March 25, 2023
Hours earlier, West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben said officers would do “everything” in their “power” until everyone affected by the incident had been recovered.
The identities of the victims have not been released, nor have the authorities commented on their relationship with the factory.
In addition to the deceased, there were a dozen injured people who were taken to nearby hospitals.
Several others were injured by the explosion at the RM Palmer Co. plant in West Reading, officials said. The cause of the blast about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia remains under investigation. https://t.co/YKoNNjycru
— WVIA (@WVIATVFM) March 26, 2023
The explosion occurred on Friday night at a factory of the RM Palmer company, which is dedicated to the production of chocolates. The company issued a press release in which it was “devastated by the tragic events” and pledged its “support to employees and their families.”
From the start of the emergency, District Fire Chief Chad Moyer mentioned the devastating outlook, “Due to the violence of the explosion and the time that has elapsed, the chances of finding survivors are rapidly diminishing.”.
“However, rest assured that our primary goal is to account for all missing persons and reunite them with their loved ones,” he added at the time.
The company’s website says it has been making “chocolate novelties” since 1948 and currently had 850 employees at its West Reading headquarters.
Keep reading:
• VIDEO: Chocolate factory explodes in Pennsylvania, there are 2 dead and several missing
• Two tigers escaped from a zoo in Georgia after the passage of a tornado
• 12 injured after the collapse of a building near the University of Pennsylvania