CHICAGO, July 17 (UPI) -- An explosion Friday at a commercial biodiesel and vegetable oil plant in Chicago has left at least two people seriously hurt, authorities say.
A Fire Department spokesman said one of the victims in the west side blast was in serious to critical condition while the other was in fair to serious condition, The Chicago Tribune reported.
Spokesman Quention Curtis said an unspecified number of other workers at the plant underwent decontamination procedures following the Friday morning explosion.
All streets within two blocks of the plant were cordoned off as a precaution, but area residents were not asked to evacuate their homes.
Fire Department spokesman Will Knight said the plant typically handles up to 40,000 pounds of biodiesel fuel daily.
Knight told the newspaper the explosion, whose cause is under investigation, caused part of the plant to collapse.
The blast also disrupted travel on the north and west Milwaukee district lines of the Metra railway system.
