Explosion at suburban Chicago petroleum plant leaves at least one dead, one injured

At least one person was killed and one injured during an explosion and fire at a petroleum plant in Lemont, Illinois on Tuesday morning.

Law enforcement officials are urging people to avoid the area around the Seneca Petroleum, calling the explosion and fire an “active incident.” Roads around the plant are closed.

According to WMAQ, initial reports from the Will County sheriff’s office indicate the explosion occurred inside an asphalt tank at the facility. Romeoville police have also responded to the scene of the explosion, as have emergency response officials from Downers Grove. WMAQ reported that OSHA and ComEd have also been called to the scene.

Lemont is a village of just 20,000 located southwest of Chicago and split between multiple counties including Will County, Cook County, DuPage County.

Emergency responders were claled to the plant just before 10am. The person who was killed was pronounced dead at the scene, while the Chicago Sun-Times reported that the person who was injured has been transported to Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet to recieve treatment.

Officials do not believe at this time that the materials released from the plant during the course of the explosion and fire are hazardous to the public, though that assessment is subject to change.