Boiler explodes at Sanderson Farms Collins Feed Mill, one person reported injured

COLLINS, Miss. (WDAM) - A boiler exploded at the Sanderson Farms Collins Feed Mill and injured one person on Monday morning.

According to Collins Fire Chief John Pope, the fire department received reports of the incident at the feed mill around 9:30 a.m. He said the scene was cleared within two hours.

“For us, we always make a very robust response for an industrial type incident and given the dangers. Being able to mitigate one like this the crews were able to get there and address it very quickly, had a quick response time, and a quick suppression time. So, therefore, we were able to do that to prevent any further injuries and any other further damages to the facilities,” says Pope.

Pope also said one person was reported injured. They were taken to a local hospital, and their condition is not known at this time.

The explosion impacted a boiler room and caused minimum damage to a warehouse facility, according to Pope.

The incident is still under investigation by members of Sanderson Farms’ safety team to determine the cause of the explosion.

The mill will be offline for the time being.

Pope says first responders in Collins are prepared for anything at the industrial plant thanks to a good working relationship with Sanderson Farms.

“And we learn from incidents in the past. We prepare and train with their personnel so that we know the layouts of their facilities, we know where certain utilities are located that we need to isolate. And then we can be able to respond and have a better response. Of course, we try and we hope for prevention,” says Pope.

WDAM reached out to Sanderson Farms on Monday to find out the conditions and plans for the plant. Sanderson Farms had no comment at the time.

This story will be updated when more information is provided.

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