West Pharmaceuticals Explosion in North Carolina

Fox News | 01.29.03 | Me

[kcvl]

Plant employees over 200 people...

[kcvl]

People felt it for miles around...

[MHGinTN]

What is formulated on the site?

[kcvl]

Medical supplies such as needles, syringes, etc.

[A Citizen Reporter]

I'd like to know that too. FNC just said that the HQ is in Pennsylvannia, and they are "not commenting".

[kcvl]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/831914/posts

[templar]

What do they make there. that large an explosion isn't something I relate to things used for pharmaceuticals.

[mhking]

Per WXIA/Atlanta (11Alive.com):

Deaths Feared in N.C. Plant Explosion

Provided By: The Associated Press
Last Modified: 1/29/2003 2:40:28 PM

KINSTON, N.C. (AP) -- An explosion and fire rocked a pharmaceutical company Wednesday afternoon, and at least three people were critically injured, authorities said.

A man who lives near the West Pharmaceutical plant said debris flew in the air and the woods behind the plant were also on fire.

The explosion was reported at 1:27 p.m., said Lee Pearson of the Highway Patrol office in Williamston. The cause was not immediately known.

"We've got a lot of units out there," he said.

A spokeswoman at Lenoir Memorial Hospital said three people were at the hospital in critical condition with burns and more victims were expected.

Lee Edwards, who lives beside the plant, said debris from two 800-feet water towers flew in the air.

"All I can see I just the black smoke, just billowing up in the air. I mean, the whole sky is black," he said. "It exploded. It knocked me over."

West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. is a manufacturer of pharmaceutical delivery and medical devices. The company's Web site said its Kinston plant employs about 225 people.

A spokeswoman at the company's headquarters in Lionville, Pa., had no immediate comment.

Kinston is a city of about 24,000 in east-central North Carolina.

[Howlin]

No....no.....rubber products......stoppers for bottles, the rubber in vials of medicine, stuff like that.

[sirchtruth]

I'm watching Fox right now, they're showing bird's eyeview pictures and I'll tell you this explosion was HUGE!!!

Multiple injuries, no word yet on the cause.

[kcvl]

http://www.westpharma.com

[freedomson]

Their server just melted down.

[Howlin]

The local news said you can see the smoke from Goldsboro...that's WAY FAR.

[kcvl]

That would explain the BLACK SMOKE...rubber products. But, what would explain the explosion?

[Howlin]

Take a look!

[A Citizen Reporter]

From there:

Corporate Overview

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a global pharmaceutical technology company that applies proprietary materials science, formulation research and manufacturing innovation to advance the quality, therapeutic value, development speed and rapid market availability of pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare products.

West is the world's premiere provider of standard-setting systems and device components for parenterally administered medicines and an emerging leader in the development of advanced formulation technologies for the transmucosal delivery of drugs.

Internationally headquartered in Lionville, Pa., West supports its partners and customers from 50 locations throughout North America, South America, Europe, Mexico, Japan, Asia and the Pacific and Australia.

[Howlin]

Our local news, WRAL, is saying they don't know, but it is NOT a plane.

People may still be inside.

It's right near the Kinston International Jetport (<---hahaha)

[concerned about politics]

This was a big one. Blew out the nearby school windows, and debris has started a nearby forest on fire.

[Howlin]

The explosion was inside.

[Mo1]

Fox News has a live video feed .. they said the explosion blew out the windows of a near by school

WOW!! ...

prayers to all that were hurt

[kcvl]

If you click on "Cached" you can get a homepage to come up...

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=west+pharmaceuticals