Last Wednesday, an explosion at a Valley Proteins animal rendering plant in Rose Hill, North Carolina, severely injured five workers. The individuals were airlifted to the burn center at a local hospital. Rose Hill is about 90 miles south of Raleigh.
The workers were employees of a contractor hired by Valley Proteins.
According to WITN, the incident happened in the plant's finished products area around 11:00 am.
Dust may have been the culprit. According to executive Michael Smith, the workers were using welding equipment in a dusty area when the blast happened.
No Valley Proteins employees were injured in the explosion, and the plant didn't sustain significant damage.
Authorities are investigating the industrial accident, but Smith told the AP that his primary concern is the health of the injured workers and their full recovery.
Valley Proteins is based in Winchester, Virginia. The company renders remnant animal products and recycles supermarket and foodservice waste into products used to manufacture pet food and biofuels.
