1 worker killed in explosion at North Carolina plant

MIDDLESEX, N.C. — MIDDLESEX, N.C. (AP) - Police in a North Carolina town says one person is dead after a plant explosion.

Authorities in Nash County told local media outlets that a fire tank exploded at Pennco, Inc., on U.S. Highway 264 in Middlesex at around 9:30 a.m. on Friday. The fire marshal said two people were on duty at the time of the explosion. Neither person was identified.

Middlesex is 33 miles (53 kilometers) east of Raleigh.

WRAL-TV in Raleigh reported the explosion could be heard and felt in nearby communities.

Pennco manufactures wastewater treatment chemicals. The cause of the explosion wasn't immediately known.