One dead, two injured after an explosion at a West Virginia chemical plant, company says

One person is dead and two were left injured after a fire at a chemical plant in Belle, West Virginia, according to Optima Belle Chemical, the tenant of the site.

The explosion took place at the Optima Belle Chemical plant at around 10 p.m. Tuesday, when a 1,200-gallon metal dryer became over-pressurized during a chemical product drying operation, a news release from Optima Belle said. The material in the dryer was a compound used for sanitization, the company said.

The man who died was identified by family members as John Gillenwater, who was a chemical operator, according to Optima Belle.

“John was beloved by many in his community and his church,” the family said in a statement. “John was the sole bread winner for his family.”

The two other chemical operators were evaluated at a local hospital and have been released, Optima Belle said.

This latest update comes hours after Gov. Jim Justice initially said at least four people were hurt in the explosion.

“Optima is cooperating fully with local, state, and federal officials on continuing investigation of this incident,” the release said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Belle employees, their families, and members of the surrounding community who have been affected.”

The incident prompted a 2-mile radius shelter-in-place order, a county official told CNN, which has since been lifted.

Officials let the fire continue to burn off until just after midnight when it was extinguished, Justice said.

“The outcome could have been much worse if not for all the first responders,” said Justice.

Optima Belle Chemical supplies specialty chemicals, toll services and custom manufacturing, according to its website. Its plant in Belle is located about 15 minutes south of Charleston.

Officials do not believe any chemicals from the plant fire got into the Kanawha River, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper told CNN affiliate WSAZ.

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the chemical plant where the explosion took place. It was at Optima Belle Chemical, a tenant of the Chemours Company Plant site.