Four Hurt in Propane Blast

Oct 07, 09:52 AM

Current Headlines: Four people were injured when a propane truck exploded at a foundry in Tacoma, Wash., closing a major highway and filling a valley with thick, black smoke.

Saturday afternoon's explosion at Atlas Castings & Technology burned late into the night as dozens of firefighters worked to cool additional propane tanks on the site, The Seattle Times reported Sunday.

The truck driver was in critical condition after being airlifted to a hospital. Another worker was hospitalized with facial burns while two others were treated and released.

The truck was carrying 8,000 gallons of propane when it exploded, starting a fire in another propane tank, police said. The foundry is located in the Nalley Valley, an industrial area near the intersection of Highway 16 and Interstate 5, which was backed up for miles as traffic was rerouted.

The blast looked like the atom bomb, like the mushroom cloud, a police officer told the Times.