West Pharmaceuticals Explosion in North Carolina

Fox News | 01.29.03 | Me

[kcvl]

Plant employees over 200 people...

[concerned about politics]

Reports say people can see the smoke 30 miles away. (Fox)

[GWB00]

I am in Brazil today on business and the local news is treating this as "Breaking News". Meanwhile the crappy CNN International that is being pumped into my hotel room continues to fret over what the Europeans think about the President's SOTU presentation last night. This forum has been the best source for info. Keep up the good work! God Bless!

[Henk]

One guy reported finding three people wandering through the woods dazed. Doesn't this suggest that there might have been time for an evacuation before the explosion occurred? I can't imagine that these people were blown into the woods by the explosion and survived. Perhaps they were dazed by being in the vicinity of the explosion after evacuating.

Anyway, I am just hopeful that there may have been enough warning that people could get out.

[DoughtyOne]

I understand. To you and I it's always a possiblity. To others such talk is grounds for undue concern.

[Mo1]

Fox is reporting the smoke can be seen as far as 20 miles away

[Servant of the Nine]

There's ifo about the company posted earlier on this thread. The company does make vaccines and bios, but maybe not this one plant.

A friend in Biomed manufacturing here in Raleigh says just plastic parts at that plant.

So9

[NC Conservative]

Wow! This is near my hometown

I am from New Bern orginally. I hope no one I knew worked there.

[bobsatwork]

"I suppose coal dust or flour or something similar could also cause such an explosion (but do these exist in a pharmceutical plant?)"

""Carbon black" is often used to make the latex rubber stoppers "jet black" -- just like automobile tires. Combustible powders are sometimes explosive."

West files TRI (Toxic Release Inventory)data available at http://d1.rtknet.org/tri/. This site makes rubber products, and has chemical processes using zinc and barium compounds. No details beyond this.

[JennysCool]

WRAL: hospital burn center told to expect four patients ...

[Doctor Stochastic]

Partially burned anything makes thick, acrid, poisonous, ugly, etc., smoke.

[PokeyJoe]

MapQuest map

Kinston is upper left, I put in Camp Lejune for distance check.

I was interested for personal reasons.

Semper Fi

[freedom4ever]

Re: your post #185 on my post #180. It was referring to my post #145.

[Jomini]

Moderators have apparently pulled post 121. Just remember what you read. The primary concern now should be the smoke. Information from the ground much more accurate than what you are seeing on TV but perhaps too intense for this forum now.

J

[Howlin]

On Channel 11, they just talked to the Burn Unit in Chapel Hill; they are getting ready, but they still do NOT have any patients???? This fire started at 1:15.....how can that be???

[NC Conservative]

(or ECU).

Graduate(Proudly) of the Purple and Gold. 1994.

[freedom4ever]

Re: your post #189. Your excused.

[JennysCool]

Err...what did post 121 concern?

[jriemer]

So plastic plant explosions happen all the time???

No. Although I do not have the facts to back up my assertion, you can pop over to www.spe.org (the plastic industry website). I would imagine they would be able to tell you how often one of their member corporations "flicked the bic".

I can tell you from personal experience that it has been at least 15 years since my company had a fire and there was no injuries involved in that incident.

jriemer

[Howlin]

Hold on to your hats:

FBI has sent agents 'in case.'

[Carolina]

Pitt Memorial has 2 patients. The chopper headed for Carolina left about 30 minutes ago.