...

Logo Pasino du Havre - Casino-Hôtel - Spa
in partnership with
Logo Nextory

Two people dead, 10 others injured in explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania

• Aug 17, 2025, 4:40 AM
6 min de lecture
1

An explosion at a US Steel plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, left two people dead and at least 10 injured on Monday, heavily damaging the sprawling facility, officials said.

One worker was pulled from the wreckage hours after the explosion sent black smoke spiralling into the midday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of Pennsylvania synonymous with steel for more than 100 years. Authorities later said a second person had died.

Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. local time and that the explosion, followed by several smaller blasts, which some residents of a nearby community said was felt.

The explosion prompted county officials to warn residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond.

“It felt like thunder,” Zachary Buday, a construction worker near the scene, told local media. “Shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building, and then when we saw the dark smoke coming up from the steel mill and put two and two together, and it’s like something bad happened.”

Cause of explosion under investigation

Local officials said they were still trying to determine what happened. US Steel employees “did a great job” of going in and rescuing workers, shutting down gases, and making sure the site was stable, US Steel’s chief manufacturing officer, Scott Buckiso, said at a news conference.

Buckiso said the company, now a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., is working with authorities. US Steel CEO David B. Burritt said the company would thoroughly investigate the cause.

“I end every meeting and every message with the words, ‘Let’s get back to work safely.’ That commitment has never been more important, and we will honor it,” he said in a statement.

The county's local hospital, Allegheny Health Network Hospital, said it received seven patients from the plant who were treated, with five already discharged, while the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre said it is treating three patients at UPMC Mercy, the region’s only level one trauma and burn centre.

Air quality concerns and health warnings

The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania.

Emergency crew gather after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant, Monday, Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)
Emergency crew gather after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant, Monday, Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar) Gene Puskar/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

The plant converts coal to coke, a key component in the steel-making process. To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what’s known as coke gas—made up of a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

The Clairton plant has approximately 1,400 workers, but in recent years has been plagued by concerns about pollution.

Long history of pollution concerns

In 2019, the steel plant consented to pay $8.5 million to resolve a complaint about air pollution. Five years later, the firm settled a federal lawsuit brought by the Allegheny County Health Department, PennEnvironment, and Clean Air Council, agreeing to spend $5 million on local clean air initiatives and programs and $19.5 million on equipment modifications.

The lawsuit stemmed from a Christmas Eve fire in 2018 that caused $40 million in damage. The fire damaged pollution control equipment, leading to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide, according to a lawsuit.

In the wake of the fire, Allegheny County warned residents to limit outdoor activities, with residents saying for weeks afterwards that the air felt acidic, smelled like rotten eggs, and was hard to breathe.

In February, a problem with a battery at the plant led to a “buildup of combustible material” that ignited, causing an audible “boom,” officials said. Two workers received first aid treatment at a local hospital but were not seriously injured.


Today

European leaders stress unity with Ukraine ahead of Washington summit
• 7:02 PM
3 min
European leaders voiced strong support for Ukraine ahead of a Washington summit with US President Donald Trump. They emphasized unity, territorial integrity and security guarantees as essential to any peace deal.<div class="small-12 column text-center art
Read the article
Brussels' chief prosecutor slams political inaction over drug gang violence
• 4:56 PM
4 min
There have been 57 shootings in the Belgian capital to date this year, including 20 since the start of the summer, resulting in at least four deaths.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/2025/08/12/brus
Read the article
Latest news bulletin | August 17th, 2025 – Evening
• 4:00 PM
1 min
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this August 17th, 2025 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https:/
Read the article
38 arrested as strikes and protests demanding ceasefire and hostage release deal sweep Israel
• 2:45 PM
4 min
Dozens were arrested in Israel as protesters gathered outside politician's homes, military headquarters and on major highways to demand the Israeli government strike a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza.<div class="small-12 column text-center a
Read the article
Latest news bulletin | August 17th, 2025 – Midday
• 10:00 AM
1 min
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this August 17th, 2025 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https:/
Read the article
Five people killed as Russia continues to pummel Ukrainian cities
• 9:59 AM
9 min
Russia continues to target Ukrainian cities firing hundreds of missiles and projectiles daily despite ongoing peace efforts, led by the United States. Ukrainian officials say their unwillingness to dial back their offensive reflects their lack of sincere
Read the article
Magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocks Indonesia's Sulawesi island
• 7:48 AM
2 min
The quake was followed by at least 15 aftershocks. Local authorities say they’re conducting rapid assessments to determine the initial impact of the earthquake.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/2025
Read the article
Three Republican-led states to send hundreds of National Guards to Washington at Trump's request
• 7:27 AM
7 min
The activations of external Guard troop deployments suggest the Trump administration sees the need for additional manpower, despite the president personally downplaying the need for Washington to hire more police officers.<div class="small-12 column text-
Read the article
Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza amid expanded military operations
• 6:54 AM
7 min
Israel says it’s preparing to mass move Palestinians from combat areas in Gaza to the south as plans of its new military offensive reach final stages of planning.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/20
Read the article
Trump says he’ll know if Putin wants peace deal with Ukraine in their meeting
• 6:49 AM
6 min
Without elaborating, Trump reiterated that land exchanges might be a part of any significant agreement.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com/2025/08/12/trump-says-hell-know-if-putin-wants-a-peace-deal-w
Read the article
Latest news bulletin | August 17th, 2025 – Morning
• 5:00 AM
1 min
Catch up with the most important stories from around Europe and beyond this August 17th, 2025 - latest news, breaking news, World, Business, Entertainment, Politics, Culture, Travel.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https:/
Read the article
Two people dead, 10 others injured in explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania
• 4:40 AM
6 min
The plant, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major US Steel plants in Pennsylvania.<div class="small-12 column text-center article_
Read the article
Wildfires in Spain and Portugal force evacuations and deployment of thousands of emergency personnel
• 12:15 AM
6 min
A heatwave is continuing to affect the Iberian Peninsula. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to battle ongoing blazes and towns have been evacuated. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited affected regions to meet with the heads of emergenc
Read the article
Zelenskyy urges Europe to remain united against Russia's 'anti-European' war in Ukraine
• 12:09 AM
6 min
Many European leaders are set to join Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his visit to the White House on Monday to meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump.<div class="small-12 column text-center article__button"><a href="https://www.euronews.com
Read the article