Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sugar Refinery Explosion


First let me say a big Thank You to all who have been praying for these folks.
I personally don't have family or loved ones involved. I do know several who do.

Here is the latest news story from WSAV news:

Sunday morning dawned with the distant rumble of heavy equipment at the sight of Thursday night’s sugar refinery explosion in Port Wentworth.

Shortly after 7am reporters and photographers from CBS Radio, Associated Press, WSAV-TV and other local media gathered at the school across Highway 25 from the Imperial Sugar, Dixie Crystals property. They waited for a scheduled tour of the facility that never materialized.

Ancient moss-draped trees shield the 91-year-old facility from the wider world, but large equipment, earthmovers, can be glimpsed in the distance. Another small bulldozer arrived on a flatbed eighteen wheeler shortly after 9:30 am. The machines are supposed to help remove rubble. It is hoped that clearing the way will aid in the search for bodies at what is left of the buildings and still smoldering silos.

So far, five bodies have been removed from the site. Police will not identify the dead or the three workers still classified as missing.

The massive explosion ripped through the plant around 7:15 pm Thursday. According to Memorial Health University Hospital and St. Josephs/Candler Health System, 38 people were seen in local hospitals with injuries from the blast.

Of those 38, 20 of the most severely injured were transferred by helicopter or ambulance to Augusta, Georgia some 130 miles upriver. WSAV has confirmed that all 20 of those patients are now at the Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital. Most of those, according to Dr. Fred Mullins, were in medically induced comas and all have undergone surgery since they arrived Thursday night and Friday morning.

Of the 18 patients that remained in Savannah, 16 were treated and released, 2 remain hospitalized.

Dr. Mullins says some of the patients in Augusta could be released today but others face multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation.

Sunday is expected to be another day of searching areas of the plant where the missing workers may have been trapped in the blast. Emergency workers describe the sugar silos and other areas in the “hot zone” as very unstable and are therefore proceeding slowly.

1 comment:

bulletholes said...

I DON'T MUCH PRAY, BUT KEEPIN' YA'LL IN MIND.