Federal-Mogul plant explosion hurts 4 contract workers in Virginia, company says

ERJ staff report (AN)

Blacksburg, Virginia (Bloomberg) -- An explosion at a Federal-Mogul Corp. plant in Blacksburg, Virginia, injured four contract workers while they were doing maintenance, the company said.

A fire that resulted from the blast on 3 January was extinguished and the company is working with local law enforcement officials to find the cause, said Jim Burke, a Federal-Mogul spokesman. The four employees were transported to hospitals, two by helicopter, Burke said.

The company, which makes auto parts such as wiper blades and pistons, hasn't assessed the damage to the factory, which was idle today, he said. Employees scheduled to return to work on 3 Jan. are still expected to go to the plant. The company doesn't expect the factory's production of engine bearings for automakers to be interrupted, Burke said.

Federal-Mogul, based in Southfield, Michigan, has several other plants that make engine bearings that may be able to pick up any production should the Blacksburg factory need to be idled, he said.

The explosion was reported earlier by WSET-TV on its website.

From Automotive News (A Crain publication)

Blacksburg Plant Resumes Production After Blast ABC13 (WSET-TV) (US, Virginia)

Update: Plant Explosion in Blacksburg Injures Four ABC13 (WSET-TV) (US, Virginia)