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BRIEF: Crews continue cleanup after Kennebunk explosion
[March 15, 2012]

BRIEF: Crews continue cleanup after Kennebunk explosion


KENNEBUNK, Mar 15, 2012 (Portland Press Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Cleanup crews are still working today to remove the remains of a chemical explosion that happened Wednesday night at Corning Inc., an industrial products company on Alfred Road in Kennebunk.



Fire Chief Stephen Nichols said that chemicals, including nitric acid, that were mixed in a drum of disposed material gave off hydrogen gas, which is explosive. A spark, possibly from a light or a fan coming on, ignited the vapors and created an explosion around 9:30 p.m., he said.

The explosion caused minor damage to the building but blew materials around inside, he said. The building was evacuated and three people were taken to the hospital complaining of tightness in their throat, he said. They were evaluated and released, he said.


Other parts of the facility, which manufactures specialty glass and ceramic products for the communications and health care industries, remained open.

___ (c)2012 the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) Visit the Portland Press Herald (Portland, Maine) at www.pressherald.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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