Louisville factory explosion was caused by failed cooking vessel, officials say

By Jessie Yeung and Laura Dolan, CNN

(CNN) — The factory explosion that killed two workers in Louisville, Kentucky, last week was caused by a failed cooking vessel, officials said Monday.

“It was an industrial accident, and there’s no indication anyone did anything intentional to cause the explosion,” said Shawn Morrow, the Louisville special agent in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), according to CNN affiliate WLKY.

He assured the public there was no ongoing threat. “The scene is contained. It’s secure, and the plant is no longer in operation,” he said, speaking at a news conference.

The explosion took place at the Givaudan Sense Colour plant, which produces colorings for food and drinks and is owned by Swiss manufacturer Givaudan. And this isn’t the first time a blast has occurred; there was another deadly explosion at the same facility 21 years ago, when the company was under different ownership.

Both people who died were workers at the plant, with a dozen others injured. Immediately afterward, people in the near vicinity were ordered to shelter in place or evacuate; while that order was soon lifted, the mayor urged residents to remain cautious.

Fifty ATF personnel were sent to investigate, conducting more than 135 interviews and assessing the impact on nearly 200 residential and commercial buildings in the area, Morrow said.

He added that internal surveillance video and a hard drive containing important data showed that the explosion originated from a cooking vessel on the south side of the plant. He did not give any further details on the cooking vessel.

“Over the coming days the investigation team will continue to put their findings together and wrap up our initial phase and issue a final origin and cause report,” Morrow said, adding the investigation was not final.

The property was released back to the company on Sunday, according to Morrow.

Meanwhile, victims’ loved ones are reeling, including the family of Kevens Dawson Jr., who was found in the rubble hours after the food dye company had said no employees were missing.

At the time, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg had said in a news conference, “We’d been told by the business that all employees were accounted for … Tragically, that was not the case.”

Givaudan blamed the confusion on “the extent of the explosion,” which forced the company to send workers to two evacuation sites, its spokesperson told CNN last week.

Several of Dawson’s family members held a press conference on Monday, where his 32-year-old son described him as an honorable and loving father.

“My whole life my father worked 12-hour shifts every day. Worked overtime or holidays, whatever he needed to do to provide for his family,” his son said, his voice shaking. “These are the ethics that I hold dear to my heart.”

Dawson, an Army veteran and father of three children, was 49. He would have turned 50 last Sunday.

The family has retained attorneys Mark Lanier, Lonita Baker and Ben Crump. Crump has been at the forefront of some of the highest-profile cases involving civil rights and racial injustice, and in Louisville is known for representing Breonna Taylor’s family in their wrongful death lawsuit against the city.

“We have an obligation to figure out what went wrong and to get justice for the Dawson family,” Baker said at the news conference.

CNN previously reached out to Givaudan Sense Colour for comment.

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