Two Injured In Explosion At Pfizer Corp

GROTON -- At least two people were injured in an explosion this morning at the Pfizer Corp. manufacturing complex.

The explosion occurred at about 8:15 a.m. inside a building used to make small quantities of test pharmaceuticals, said Pfizer spokesman Stephen Lederer.

Lederer could not say how serious the injuries were, or how large the explosion had been.

Bridgeport Hospital spokesman John Cappiello said the burn unit there was expecting to receive at least one patient, who was being transported by helicopter.

About 6,000 people are employed at drug manufacturing facility in Groton. The company also has its research and development headquarters across the Thames River in New London.

Employees were being evacuated from the Groton facility, police said. Roads in the area were blocked off.

There were no evacuations of nearby residents, and no danger to the community from the explosion, Groton Police Officer Dale Grensteiner told WVIT-TV.

Channel 3 story.

(The video at the link has folks reporting "a big mushroom cloud" and other statements that it was a big exposion.)

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GROTON, Conn. (AP) - Six people were injured, two seriously, in an explosion Tuesday morning at the Pfizer Corp. manufacturing complex, a company spokeswoman said.

The explosion occurred at about 8:15 a.m. inside a small chemical storage warehouse that supplies Building 196-A, a building used to make small quantities of test pharmaceuticals, said Pfizer spokeswoman Liz Power.

There was a drum of a chemical in the storage facility that began to smolder and then exploded, Power said. There was a fire that was contained to the warehouse, she said.

A man in his 30s was transported by helicopter to the burn unit of Bridgeport Hospital with burns over the top half of his body, said hospital spokesman John Capiello. He suffered both chemical burns and burns from the explosion, Capiello said. The hospital was expecting another victim, he said.

Four people suffered minor injuries, and were treated at the plant's employee health center, Power said.

Power said it was not clear what chemicals were involved.

Fire officials from several nearby towns responded to the explosion. Investigators from the state Department of Environmental protection were also on the scene.

About 6,000 people are employed at drug manufacturing facility in Groton. The company also has its research and development headquarters across the Thames River in New London.

Four buildings at the Groton facility were evacuated, Power said. Roads in the area were blocked off.

There were no evacuations of nearby residents, and no danger to the community from the explosion, police said.

A little clarification- I know many people who work at both the Groton and New London Pfizer Buildings (They are across the river from each other) There was a barrel of chemicals that was extremely volatile to air and had to be kept in a special barrel. This barrel developed a crack and began to swell. The barrels are checked every day and the explosion happened as the marshals came to check it. They noticed the swelling, heard a hissing, and ran for the door but didn't quite make it. It seems like an accident, misfortunate, but an accident. By the way, Groton is a research facility.
As for the plane, they searched the reservoir for days, but turned up nothing. Probably another test on our law enforcements abilities by some radical group.

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