R. M. Palmer Co. chocolate factory explosion kills 2
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Rescue workers combed the rubble of a historic Pennsylvania chocolate factory Saturday after an explosion late Friday at the plant left at least two people dead and five others missing.
One person was pulled alive in the debris after the massive explosion Friday night leveled the R. M. Palmer Co. headquarters in West Reading.
“The discovery of life overnight … provides hope that others still may be found,” Mayor Samantha Kaag said at a press conference Saturday,
No details were released about the person who was rescued or the extent of their injuries.
A team of structural engineers and K-9s from a state urban search and rescue task force were on the scene searching for signs of life, Gov. Josh Shapiro said when he visited the site.
At least 10 others were injured and treated at Reading Hospital, where two were admitted in “fair” condition and two were transferred to other facilities. The others were released after being treated for their injuries, hospital officials said.
Photos of the aftermath of the explosion showed bricks, windows and other pieces of the factory strewn through the street as smoke continued to smolder from the remnants of the building.
“It’s pretty leveled, unfortunately, there’s not too much to be able to salvage from it,” said Kaag, who is also a local firefighter. “In the front, with the church and the apartments, the explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet forward.”
A second building nearby was also destroyed, and a third was damaged, according to NBC Philadelphia.
Kaag declared a state of emergency for the borough to draw additional resources to the scene.
The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation but is believed to be the result of a gas leak.
Philip Wert, vice president of the West Reading Borough Council, told NBC the leveled building was constructed in the late 1950s or early 1960s, and officials had to “access our archive to pull the blueprints last night, in order to get a better layout of the building and the mechanicals and the utilities, where things are.”
Kristen Wisniewski lives three blocks from the well-known chocolate company.
“It was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” she said. “It literally felt like the ground fell out from underneath you.
“The whole house shook and my dogs froze, they couldn’t move, it was scary.”
Officials said there is no danger to the community, which is about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
The R.M. Palmer Company was founded in 1948. With 850 employees, it’s one of the country’s largest confectioners and is known for its seasonal products, particularly a wide array of handcrafted Easter bunnies.
The company describes the Easter bunny “Baby Binks” as the first product its founder sold to a local chain, garnering a $20,000 order for the treat that helped get the company off the ground.
The company said in a statement Saturday afternoon that it was “devastated by the tragic events” and is “focused on supporting our employees and their families.”
“We have lost close friends and colleagues, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all who have been impacted,” it said.
The company thanked the “extraordinary efforts of all of the first responders and for the support of our Reading community,” and said it would work with local and national agencies to help in the recovery process.
The company noted that it has been unable to connect with employees and employees’ families affected by the explosion because its email, phones and other communication systems are down.
“We are relying currently on first responders and disaster recovery organizations to provide any available information to impacted families,” it said.
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