Authorities in northeastern Kansas have confirmed and identified six men killed Saturday in a massive grain elevator explosion, in which grain dust is a suspected cause.
The Bartlett Grain Co. elevator at Atchison, about 85 km northeast of Topeka, was rocked by a "large-scale explosion" at about 7 p.m. Saturday, city officials said.
Reports have since confirmed the explosion could be heard at least 25 km away. A video of the site in the explosion’s aftermath is available here.
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Local authorities have wrapped up their investigation at the scene, the city said on its website Tuesday, but the state fire marshal’s office and Occupational Safety and Health Administration "have indicated they will be investigating the cause of the explosion."
An exact cause has not yet been given, but the city noted on Tuesday that "dust from milled grain can be explosive under certain conditions, especially during dry weather when dust particles are highly combustible."
Three men were found dead on Saturday and three other bodies were recovered Monday. In such cases, "rescue operations can be difficult because workers are often scattered throughout the facility, making them difficult to locate," the city said.
Dead are Travis Keil, 34, and Darrek Klahr, 43, of Kansas Grain Inspection Services, and Bartlett employees Curtis Field, 21, Chad Roberts, 20, Ryan Federinko, 21 and John Burke, 24.
Two other Bartlett employees were airlifted from the scene with injuries while four others were unharmed, the city said.
According to various media reports, workers were loading a rail car with corn when the explosion happened. The elevator was not known to have been cited for any workplace safety violations in the previous 10 years.
— The "Editors’ Picks" feature highlights unusual-yet-true news from the world of farming, as gleaned from various sources by the editorial staff of the Farm Business Communications division.
