ST. LOUIS (AP) – A St. Louis company’s steam condensation tank exploded, firing it a quarter-mile into the air and through the roof of a neighboring business, after the tank was restarted despite needing emergency repairs, federal investigators said Thursday.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released findings of its investigation into the horrifying April 3 explosion at Loy-Lange Box Co., south of downtown St. Louis. The blast sent the van-sized tank hurtling through the air, landing through the roof of a neighboring business, Faultless Healthcare Linen. Four people died.
The steam condensation tank, used in the process of making corrugated packaging products, first sprung a leak in November 2012. The federal report said a contractor made emergency repairs and less than a month later recommended the replacement of lower portions of the tank.
The tank parts were never replaced, investigators said. They also found no evidence that the city ever inspected the tank.
Engineers again noticed a leak on March 31 this year, a Friday, the report said. The steam generation system was shut down and a repair technician was scheduled to arrive the following Monday afternoon, April 3.