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A spokeswoman for
the Munitions Command, which manages ammunitions installations
for all branches of the U.S. military, said the four injured
workers were evaluated at the scene and declined further
treatment.
An earlier statement had said that three people were taken to a
local hospital for evaluation. The spokeswoman, Justine Barati,
said that statement had been in error. Barati did not identify
the person killed in the explosion.
Barati said the blast took place at about 1 p.m. central
daylight time (2 p.m. EDT) in a primer mixing cell at the Lake
City Army Ammunition Plant. A mixing cell is a building area
where the components of munitions are mixed together.
The scene was secured and rendered safe by U.S. Alcohol Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives agents, and an investigation could
determine what caused the explosion, Barati said.
The facility was closed for the remainder of Tuesday, and
employees were told to check with managers before returning to
work on Wednesday.
The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, which opened in 1940, makes
small-caliber munitions and operates as a North Atlantic Treaty
Organization test center.
Independence, Missouri, is about 10 miles east of Kansas City.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli and
Leslie Adler)
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