19-Year-Old Dies After Being Struck by Flying Debris from Industrial Explosion in Michigan
A firefighter and a second bystander were also injured by flying debris from the fire that broke out Monday night
A 19-year-old has died after being hit by debris after an explosion at a Michigan industrial building on Monday.
Authorities responded to the blaze on 15 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway just before 9 p.m. local time, according to the Clinton Township Police Department.
Police said “exploding materials” could be seen “flying in all directions” from the burning business building, named Select Distributors, when they arrived.
A bystander was hospitalized after sustaining “injuries associated with the incident,” according to the CTPD.
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At a press conference on Tuesday, Fire Chief Tim Duncan said the 19-year-old, who was hit by shrapnel, was pronounced dead around 4 a.m., according to Macomb Daily.
“You just want to hug the family and say sorry,” Duncan said, per WWJ NewsRadio 950. “I can't even imagine what you're going through today.”
A second bystander was injured when they were hit by a piece of a propane tank that went flying due to the fire, according to ABC affiliate WXYZ. The CTPD said a firefighter also “sustained a minor injury” due to the blaze.
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A police vehicle and fire vehicle “sustained damage from the exploding projectile canisters” coming from the burning building, they added. Several police and fire vehicles were damaged by propane as well, according to WXYZ.
Among the businesses reportedly located inside the building is a company called Goo, which is known for producing vape products. Crews believe the canisters that went flying from the building Monday night contained nitrous oxide and butane.
One of these objects reportedly went through the windshield of a responding fire truck and hit the now-injured firefighter. The firefighter was checked out at a local hospital and is expected to survive.
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Meanwhile, four people reportedly escaped the building before the explosion and fire began, WXYZ and Macomb Daily reported.
Residents and businesses in the area surrounding the building were subsequently evacuated, according to the CTPD.
An investigation into the fire is ongoing. The CTPD said they did not know what materials were burned in the fire and are monitoring local air quality, according to CNN.
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