2 Die, 3 Hurt in Alabama as Tank of Acid Explodes
A tank of sulfuric acid exploded Thursday at a chemical plant, sending the 20,000-gallon container rocketing off its stand and killing two men, officials and a witness said.
At least three people were injured as the blast spewed a cloud hundreds of feet above the Merichem Co. plant on the banks of the Black Warrior River.
The tank landed about 100 yards from the river, and runoff from the chemical that failed to evaporate in the blast was contained with dikes and underground pits before it could reach the water, officials said.
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