Loud noises jolt Tennessee community as manufacturing plant reports malfunction
Loud noises jolted a Tennessee community as a manufacturing plant reported a malfunction, officials said.
Four people were hurt at the Eastman Chemical Company plant after people reported hearing a sound similar to an explosion about 7:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 31, according to firefighters and WHJL
The Eastman Chemical Company said the plant in Kingsport “experienced a high pressure steamline failure at our Kingsport manufacturing site resulting in vibrations that were felt by the surrounding community and loud noises from a consistent heavy release of steam,” according to a statement the Kingsport Fire Department shared on its Facebook page.
A video posted to Facebook shows a smoke-like substance billowing into the air. Justin Murray reported being in a nearby building when the shaking started, according to WHJL.
“It rattled the windows in the warehouse,” Murray told the TV station. “It was a loud explosion, and then we walked outside, and you could hear the echo for probably 15 seconds.”
Eastman is a Kingsport-based company with about 14,000 workers worldwide. It makes “products found in items people use every day,” according to its website.
The company said the “steamline failure” sent four people to hospitals with minor injuries. The incident — which was listed as “under control” as of about 10:20 a.m. — didn’t cause a fire but led to on-site power outages and kept some workers in place due to safety protocols, according to officials.
“The steam line failure that resulted in loud noises and vibrations also caused the release of small particle debris that can occur with utility line disruptions,” spokesperson Betty Payne said in Eastman’s statement. “This may be seen in the immediate community near the site.”
It’s not the first time Eastman has reported a malfunction in the Kingsport area, near the Virginia border and roughly 100 miles northeast of Knoxville.
On Jan. 27, the company reported a fluid leak that caused a “plume” of steam to rise up, according to the Times-News.
An explosion also rocked an Eastman coal gasification facility in October 2017. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said the blast likely happened when a valve was blocked, and there were no related deaths or injuries, the Times-News reported in 2018.
Here’s what some people reported seeing after the latest incident rocked Kingsport.
The Eastman Chemical Company and the Kingsport Fire Department didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ requests for information on Jan. 31.
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