At least two injured in Spooner, Wis. plant explosion
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A chemical plant explosion Tuesday injured at least two people, local authorities said.
The explosion occurred at a small chemical plant owned by St. Paul, Minn.-based Cortec Corp., which manufacturers products for corrosion control. Two people suffered what were believed to be first- or second-degree burns, Cortec vice president Anna Vignetti said.
"We had a small explosion unrelated to production," she said. "That's all we know right now."
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Vignetti said she did not yet know how much damage had been done to the plant, which employees about eight people. The plant about 100 miles northeast of the Twin Cities was shut down pending further investigation.
Spooner Health System spokeswoman Cindy Rouzer said two patients were being treated in the emergency room. She could not comment on their condition, she said.
The plant made aerosols and paint solvents, Wisconsin Emergency Management spokeswoman Lori Getter said. It was evacuated and emergency workers set up a two-block perimeter around it.
Ruth Skeie, director of the Spooner Area Chamber of Commerce, said she could see smoke from the plant at her office a mile away. Spooner has about 2,700 residents.
Schools near the plant were keeping children inside after the explosion, Getter said.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)