Death Toll Rises to 5 in Explosion at Grain Elevator
The death toll in a grain elevator explosion rose to five Wednesday with the discovery of two bodies and the identification of another victim’s remains. Crews continued to dig through the cascading grain in hopes of finding one other missing worker alive.
The search had resumed at mid-afternoon after being temporarily suspended when two rescuers were trapped in grain, one of them up to his armpits. Neither was injured.
“This is a very dangerous occupation. We can’t guarantee they will be safe at all times,” district Fire Chief Ken Cox said.
“We’re still in rescue mode,” said Phil Kirk, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “We’re not giving up because there’s still hope we can find someone who is still alive.”
The blast Monday was apparently caused by a spark that ignited highly explosive grain dust.
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