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OGDEN-- Three people were rushed to the hospital Monday afternoon following an explosion at a laboratory in Ogden. It happened at a business in Ogden's industrial district and appears to be the result of an extremely flammable chemical.
The 911 call came in just before 2 p.m. from Wasatch Laboratories, located near 29th Street and Wall Avenue in Ogden. Employees of the business, which does laboratory testing, had just received a delivery of petroleum ether, which can be very flammable either as a vapor or liquid.
Workers noticed that a 5 gallon container of the petroleum ether appeared to be bulging. As they attempted to move it, there was an explosion and a fire.
Three people were injured bad enough that they were taken to the hospital to be treated.
"The most important part now is to make sure we get a hold of all the employees and the families and make sure they meet up with their friends that have gone to the hospital," said Ogden Fire Deputy Chief Chad Tucker.
Firefighters say there is little fire damage because someone attempted to use fire extinguisher to put out any remaining flames. However, there is some damage to the building and some equipment as the result of the explosion.
It is still unclear exactly what type of injuries the three victims suffered or how severe those injuries are. We know two of the patients went to Ogden Regional Medical Center and another was sent to McKay-Dee Hospital.
Ogden fire investigators have spent the afternoon looking for evidence at the business, but at this point it appears it is directly related to the petroleum ether. They are now investigating to find out why the container exploded.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
