COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Division of Fire confirmed one person died and eight others were injured in an explosion at the Yenken-Majesic Paints building in Columbus early Thursday morning.
Authorities responded to a call at 12:05 a.m. at the building on 1920 Leonard Ave. The fire was put out at 5:15 a.m., according to officials. They warned black smoke will still be visible, but the situation has been contained.
At the time, one person remained missing, but Fire Chief Steve Martin confirmed he was found deceased later Wednesday morning.
“The unaccounted person mentioned last night, Wendell Light, 44, was found deceased, around 9:16 a.m. He was partially covered in ruble of the collapsed building,” said Martin in a statement.
While six people were transported to local hospitals nearby, “two other employees were trapped inside the building and had to be extricated and transported in critical condition,” according to the department.
According to officials, one person is unaccounted for. The others who were in the building managed to escape on their own.
Authorities evacuated nearby buildings and said they have been through the structure. A hazmat team was on the scene since the plant stores dangerous chemicals.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
