On Friday evening, there was a massive explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania, which resulted in multiple casualties.
According to The New York Times, the explosion occurred at the R.M. Palmer Company chocolate factory in West Reading around 5 p.m.
According to the report, at least two people were killed in the explosion, eight were injured and nine others were missing.
The cause of the explosion, which shook houses several blocks away, was being investigated by authorities.
“The explosion was so big that it moved that building four feet forward,” said Mayor Samantha Kaag. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t a great scene to come into. It was pretty scary.”
The 75-year-old company, which makes seasonal chocolate candies, employs hundreds of people.
NEW – Massive explosion reported in a factory that produces chocolate in Reading, Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/wqyr9Kzh9r
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) March 24, 2023
“I heard like a loud noise, like a roaring sound, then the house shake,” Liz Soto, who has a friend who works in the factory, told FOX 29. “She went to work, she’s confirmed to have gone to work, but we don’t know anything about her.”