The Nation - News from May 22, 1985
A raid on another illegal fireworks factory in Ohio has led to the identity of the operator of a factory that exploded in Youngstown, killing nine people in the second worst explosion of its kind in the nation. Federal agents seized about 700 pounds of gunpowder and 25,000 fireworks in Euclid, a suburb of Cleveland. The two factories were unrelated, agents said. “The employees (in Youngstown) obviously didn’t survive, but we feel that the person in charge did survive,” said Wayne Lovan of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “We’re looking at one person--others may be involved. It’s too early to say.” Lovan did not release the identity of the operator. The explosion caused $1 million in damage. Parts of the victims’ bodies were found hundreds of yards away.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
