Worker Killed in Blast at Pharmaceutical Plant

One man was killed and a co-worker was slightly injured Thursday when an explosion damaged a pharmaceutical plant in Santa Fe Springs that manufactures aspirin and other products, authorities said.

The dead man, whose identity has not been disclosed, was killed instantly by the blast at KM Lee Laboratories in the 10000 block of Shoemaker Avenue.

A company official said the injured co-worker, 17, was overcome by smoke when he tried to rescue the man who was killed. The worker, whose identity also was withheld, was in stable condition at Norwalk Community Hospital.

KM Lee production manager Steve Totten said the man who died was operating a machine that grinds up unsold tablets when the explosion occurred. Investigators said the cause was unknown, but fire officials noted that dust in the air at the time of the blast might have been ignited by a spark.