At least four people have been injured, one critically, in an explosion at Dow Chemical off Route 114 Thursday afternoon, police said.
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Around 3 p.m. officials at Lawrence General Hospital Emergency Center were warned to “expect four critically injured patients” from the chemical plant on Willow Street, a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement.
Chemicals were not released into the air, Maylor said. Three of the victims were later transferred to hospitals in Boston.
The hospital defines patients in critical condition as having unstable vital signs and possibly having lost consciousness, with unfavorable or questionable indicators.
Officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were among the investigators at the scene.
North Andover Town Manager Andrew Maylor told the Associated Press there appears to be no danger to the surrounding area.
Coan said he is asking the United States Chemical Safety Board to join the investigation into the blast because of the serious nature of the injuries and the chemicals involved.
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“Trimethyl aluminum chemical may have come into contact with water or air and caused the explosion”. In the incident, Carlos Amaral, 51, died a day after he was injured in a fiery blast in a laboratory of the plant.
