Princess Avenyoh
Three people, including two young girls have died after a massive explosion at a biofuel plant in Nebraska.
Fremont officials confirmed the deaths on Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after the fire broke out at Horizon Biofuels.
Mayor Joey Spellerberg described the situation as heartbreaking. “My heart hurts. We pray for all the families involved,” he stated.
The two children were waiting for an employee to finish work so they could head to a doctor’s appointment.
Both girls were under 12 years old. Authorities are not sharing their names at this time.
Fire crews are still battling heavy smoke and flames, which continued to burn despite overnight rain.
The plant remains unstable, making it hard for firefighters to reach the exact area where the explosion happened.
Carl Nielsen of Fremont’s volunteer fire department said the recovery process would be slow with no clear timeline yet.
Horizon Biofuels produces wood pellets and animal bedding, using large amounts of wood waste and alcohol-based materials.
Fire Chief, Todd Bernt said crews faced intense smoke and flames when they first arrived at the site.
The facility sits near several other manufacturing and food processing plants, increasing concerns about nearby safety.
A similar fire at the plant in 2014 damaged its electrical systems but left the structure standing.
Officials believe wood dust in the elevator section of the plant likely triggered the explosion.
“That’s really the only thing that makes sense,” Mayor Spellerberg told reporters.
Horizon Biofuels has not responded to calls or issued a statement about the incident.
Firefighters continue working to fully contain the blaze and safely recover the victims’ bodies.