Dow Chemical Explosion: What Happened At The Louisiana Facility

An explosion rocked a Dow Chemical plant near Plaquemine, Louisiana, on Sunday morning.

According to multiple reports, the impact appears to be minimal. In a Facebook post, the company confirmed that no one was hurt or killed by the explosion, which it described as being caused by a ruptured “vessel.”

“Dow Louisiana Operations had a vessel that ruptured at the site this morning,” the post said. “The noise was heard in the community. There are no injuries on site, and we are currently conducting air monitoring. We have stopped all flow that was going to the vessel.”

In a later update to the post, Dow Louisiana Operations confirmed that it was conducting air monitoring to survey the facility and the effects of the explosions. The company reports that there appears to be no off-site damage caused by the incident and that the only effect it may have on the community-at-large is the noise it initially produced.

“The production unit is stable. Leadership and our response team is on site walking through the unit,” the update stated. “There are no injuries associated with this event. And Dow is in direct contact with regulatory agencies and local community officials.”

Plaquemine is a community situated on the Mississippi River with a population of over 7,000. It is roughly 15 miles south of Louisiana's capital Baton Rouge.