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ATLANTA - Dozens of people were injured, some of them seriously, in an explosion at a sugar refinery in the US state of Georgia on Thursday night, local authorities said, adding that no fatalities had been reported yet.
Six people were unaccounted for and firefighters were attempting to put out the blaze apparently started by a blast in a bagging room at the Imperial Sugar company plant in Port Wentworth, a suburb of Savannah, said police Sgt. Mike Wilson.
Around 38 people were taken to hospital but the number of plant. "We are also expecting a significant number of walking wounded at this point."
Five patients were also brought to St Joseph's Candler hospital in Savannah, spokeswoman Betsy Yates said.
The Savannah Morning News said the explosion happened at around 7:20pm/1320NZT and emergency responders headed to the scene from throughout the area.
Imperial Sugar is the largest processor and refiner of sugar in the United States and is based in Texas. It includes the Imperial Sugar brand in that state and the Dixie Crystals brand in the south east, according to a company website.
- REUTERS
