A truck exploded early Wednesday morning at a UPS Freight facility in in Lexington, Ky., injuring eight employees and causing “significant structural damage” to the facility.
“UPS can confirm an explosion at the Lexington UPS Freight facility,” the company said in an emailed statement. “Two employees have been taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Initial reports indicate the cause may have been a gas leak from materials contained in a trailer. UPS is working with local authorities and cannot provide additional detail while there is an ongoing investigation."
Of the eight people injured, two suffered from minor burns and possible concussions, while the other six were taken to the hospital for precautionary observation, Lexington Fire Department Battalion Chief Jason Wells said in a press conference. According to Wells, the facility is used mostly for truck maintenance and repair.
UPS spokesperson Glenn Zaccara told American Shipper all eight of the injured people were UPS employees out of a total of 12 employees at the facility at the time of the explosion and some of them witnessed the explosion firsthand.
Zaccara said the facility would be closed during the investigation and the company has contingency plans in the event of an extended shutdown, but that some UPS Freight shipments might be affected in the interim.
The explosion, which took place at around 7:40 a.m. local time, is still under investigation, but the fire department said it appears to have been unintentional.
“Nothing leads us to believe this is anything other than an accidental explosion,” the fire department said on Twitter. “The building has been evacuated and everyone is accounted for. We will remain on the scene for several hours investigating and making sure the area is safe.”
Wells said the cause of the explosion is unknown, but early indications are that it came from a truck and trailer inside the facility carrying tanks of acetylene, a volatile and highly flammable hydrocarbon gas used most often in welding.
The explosion also resulted in a small fire, but the fire department said damage caused by the fire was minimal. The structural damage primarily affected the roof and interior walls of the building.
Wells said the fire department would work with Lexington police and other partner agencies to investigate the incident.