People stand on a hill and watch as emergency crews sift through the rubble on March 25, for several missing people after an explosion at R.M. Palmer Co. on March 24, 2023 after an explosion destroyed part of the candy factory. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
Jeremy Long / WITF
Jeremy Long / WITF
People stand on a hill and watch as emergency crews sift through the rubble on March 25, for several missing people after an explosion at R.M. Palmer Co. on March 24, 2023 after an explosion destroyed part of the candy factory. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
A fourth person was found dead following an explosion at the RM Palmer chocolate plant in West Reading. Three remain missing.
Wayne Holben, West Reading Chief of Police, said rescue workers were sifting through debris in hopes of finding survivors.
“In the beginning, we used hidden imaging devices, drones. Now you’re using heavy equipment to methodically pull debris away from the site to make sure we’re taking as much care as possible for individuals that are still inside,”Holben said.
As search efforts continue, hope of finding anyone alive is dwindling.
“Currently, we have four individuals that are unaccounted for, due to the violence of the explosion, and the amount of time that has passed, the chance of finding survivors is decreasing rapidly,” West Reading Fire Chief Chad Moyer said at a press conference Saturday night.
West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag says the focus now is working with families to get more information about their missing loved ones.
Kaag read a statement on behalf of R.M. Palmer Company.
“Everyone at RM Palmer is devastated by tragic events that occurred Friday evening at one of our West Reading facilities. Our focus remains supporting our employees and their families and our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted.”
West Reading Council PresidentRyan Lineaweaver called for reconvening on Tuesday to extend the mayor’s emergency declaration issued at 1:00 AM on Saturday.
Thank you everyone for your support and understanding at this time – I am proud of West Reading, or Berks County, and honored to be your Mayor – We are all in this together. pic.twitter.com/SsbreFkePb
— Mayor Samantha Kaag (@SamanthaKaag) March 25, 2023
The explosion, that occurred just before 5 p.m. Friday at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant and destroyed one building and damaged another nearby, is still under investigation.
Luis Martinez, who lives down the street from the factory, was home when he heard the explosion late Friday afternoon.
“When it did explode, it felt like the whole foundation was shaking,” Martinez said. “It felt like the whole house was coming down. It took me a couple of seconds to figure out exactly what the heck was happening.”
On Saturday, Martinez received a letter from UGI Utilities asking to conduct a safety inspection. UGI inspectors found a gas leak in Martinez’s house, which was fixed.
A UGI Utilities spokesperson told the Associated Press on Saturday that crews were brought in after the explosion because the damage from the explosion led to the release of gas.
Berks County Community Foundation and the United Way of Berks County have created a fund to aid victims of the explosion.
Reading Hospital said Saturday afternoon it had received 10 patients, of which one was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital and another to Penn State Health St. Joseph Medical Center. Two were admitted to Reading Hospital in good and fair condition, respectively, and the others had been discharged, officials said.
Gov. Josh Shapiro, who visited the site Saturday along with the emergency management agency director, vowed “any and all commonwealth resources needed to support ongoing recovery efforts – in addition to the extensive assets that have already been deployed.”
RM Palmer has made “seasonal chocolate novelties” since 1948 and employs 850 people at its West Reading headquarters, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
The Associated Press and NPR contributed to this story.
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