3 Confirmed Dead In Waukegan Explosion, 1 Still Missing
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Crews spent Sunday dismantling a building piece by piece after a deadly and powerful explosion at a Waukegan silicone plant Friday.
Three people were initially missing, but crews found and removed the body of the second person Sunday. Officials say a third remains somewhere in the rubble.
A front porch surveillance camera captured the moment flames shot into the air around 9:30 p.m. Friday at AB Specialty Silicones, a manufacturer and distributor of silicone parts.
The blast sent debris flying for blocks.
During the second day of the search, there was a lot of emotion as loved ones of the missing watched and waited.
One employee was found among the wreckage Saturday morning. The Lake County Coroner says they won't be identified until Monday.
Another employee, 29-year-old Allen Stevens, passed away before noon Saturday after over 12 hours in Loyola's burn unit. He leaves behind a wife.
Stevens' friends set up an online fundraiser to start a memorial fund in his honor. They've raised over $12,000 in just nine hours.
Coworkers, shed light on how heroic some of their lost colleagues acted.
The second shift supervisor alerted staff to evacuate after realizing something wasn't right and refused to leave until he was certain everyone else was safe.
The third shift supervisor tried saving a new employee but got trapped inside himself.
Now, searchers are hoping to find the missing and help their families move forward.
Three employees are still in the hospital. Their conditions are unknown.
Around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the search team located a body in a heavily damaged part of the building. It took crews over two hours to remove the victim. The body was turned over to the Lake County Coroner for autopsy and identification.
The search for the last missing person was called off around 7:15 p.m. Sunday and will resume in the morning.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but officials said they are not looking at foul play.
At least two autopsies are scheduled for Monday, when the identities of those killed could be announced.
