West Pharmaceuticals Explosion in North Carolina

Fox News | 01.29.03 | Me

[kcvl]

Plant employees over 200 people...

[mhking]

They make vaccines and syringes...hmmm..

(Tinfoil hat still in place) Anthrax vaccine? Bio-terror attack?

[jriemer]

KCVL,

If the plant owned some of the worlds injection molding machines with 3000T of potential energy, could you have enough "pop" to toss a tower. The problem is these machine have the injection clamps horizontially mounted. No tower toss here. Plus, they're usually used in the automotive and large speciality plastic applications.

My rational guess for what could have happened is there was some rapid depolymerization and outgassing of the plastic they process. The depolymerized gasses ignited and boom. I have seen this rupture 4" dia. steel injection barrels down their entire lenght like a soda straw. It is extremely rare and is usually caused by a machine malfunction.

Again, God protect these men and women. Plastic burns are some of the worst things on earth.

jriemer

[Howlin]

Family members sent to a local church.

[jriemer]

What the heck is causing all the black smoke??

The incomplete combustion of plastic. The smoke is very acrid and could be toxic depending on the source resin.

[JustPiper]

Geeez. I always think terrorism first, the other options later. It's suppose to be the other way around.

Me too ;(

[DoughtyOne]

1/3 of the roof of that large front building is gone. Interior blown away.

[Peach]

Prayers for family members and co-workers. What a horrible sight.

[Constitution Day]

NC ping!

[sheik yerbouty]

I've got the Reynolds on stand by..I thik that if it is terrorism, it might be a prelude for a bio attack in the area.

[TheBigB]

"like a bomb went off..."

Hmm.

Could this company have been involved in anti-germ/biochemical warfare research, perhaps? On the sly? And someone found out about it?

[mhking]

Family members sent to a local church.

That, combined with the sparsely attended triage area are not good signs...prayers for all involved...

[Howlin]

Channel 11 just used the "casualty" word. They are saying CNN is reporting deaths.

Propane tanks located near/in area of blast.

[kcvl]

Uh Oh...that makes me sick!

They are being VERY CAREFUL NOT TO SAY THE "T" word...my tinfoil hat is starting to hurt my head.

[Route66]

This does look very bad.
It does not look like there is much left of that building.

[Carolina]

That smoke is headed my way. Air quality will be bad. Asthmatics on alert.

[Catspaw]

Damn, I wish I had cable at the office. And I wish Fox would do a live feed.

[Howlin]

That's what I'm thinking.

[caa26]

CNN Breaking News email is reporting several people killed. Unfortunately from the explosion that appears to be obvious.

[Centurion2000]

Wonder if they make smallpox vaccine and if so, how much of it just went up in smoke.

[mhking]

That smoke is headed my way. Air quality will be bad. Asthmatics on alert.

Take care...and be sure you can close things up in the house - you never know what could be in that smoke...