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Watch: Timelapse shows smoke billowing from steel plant after explosion
An explosion killed one person and and injured 10 others at the US Steel Clairton plant outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Monday.
A major search and rescue operation was continuing into the evening, with one person still unaccounted for and believed to be under the rubble.
Officials temporarily instructed residents within a one mile radius of the site to keep their windows and doors closed, over fears the fire caused by the explosion could be releasing harmful substances into the air.
The cause of the blast is yet to be confirmed and an investigation is under way.
The plant is the largest coking operation in North America, and is located about 15 miles (24km) south of Pittsburgh.
The man killed has been identified by his family as 39-year-old Timothy Quinn, an affiliate of the BBC's US partner CBS reported. His sister Trisha told reporters he was a father of three from Fitz Henry in nearby Westmoreland County.
Earlier, Governor Josh Shapiro posted on social media that the state's emergency management services and police had been deployed to the plant.
Shortly after the explosion, US Senator John Fetterman wrote on X that he was at the scene and witnessed "an active search and rescue underway."
The plant is a major producer of coke, a coal-based fuel used in the production of steel. About 1,300 employees work at the facility, according to US Steel.
David B Burritt, President and CEO of US Steel, said in a statement that the company was "working closely with relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident".
He later told reporters at the press conference that the plant was "stable" but "it is still an active investigation."
"It's just a sad day for Clairton," Mayor Richard Lattanzi told the BBC's US news partner, CBS.
Family of Timothy Quinn
Timothy Quin was killed in the explosion on Monday, his family said
Clairton Coke Works has been dogged by pollution concerns throughout its history and has had to pay millions of dollars in fines, penalties, and settlements in recent years.
The plant's owner, US Steel, was fined nearly $2m (£1.5m) last year by the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) for processing and equipment issues with its coking ovens.
The ACHD also fined US Steel $2.2m in 2023 for exceeding Pennsylvania's standards on hydrogen sulphide emissions from the Clairton plant, and ordered them to provide officials with a plan to comply with state standards.
In 2022, Pennsylvania health officials fined US Steel $4.7m after it found the plant was not using a pollution control device for its coke pushing.
Watch: Authorities encourage residents near steel plant to stay indoors
