The cause of an explosion at the I. Schumann & Co. metal manufacturing plant in Oakwood that killed one person and injured more than a dozen others is still undetermined, an Oakwood Village Fire Department official said Tuesday.
Oakwood Fire Captain Brian DiRocco said the Ohio State Fire Marshal's office is now the lead investigator on the case but had few other details to provide during a press conference Tuesday. He said that while the cause is undetermined, the explosion Monday afternoon did appear to originate on the floor of the foundry, where molten metal is poured into casts. He said approximately 60 fire personnel were on the scene Monday from 14 different fire departments.
"The interior of the building, it's pretty catastrophic," he said. "...we were working this morning with a structural engineer to to see where it was safe for us to conduct our investigation. They gave us some parameters on where we could and couldn't go within the building. But but the damage is pretty extensive."
No update was available on the status of the 13 people injured by the blast,although WKYC reported Monday that two people were listed in critical condition at MetroHealth facilities. Steve Mullins, a 46-year-old North Ridgeville resident, was killed in the blast, according to Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office records.
I. Schumann in a statement said no cause has been determined for the explosion yet, which will likely take time for investigators to uncover. It said Mullins will be missed.
“It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the passing of Steven Mullins, one of our valued colleagues and good friend to all. Steve was with the company for nearly 30 years working in our maintenance group," the company wrote. "He will be greatly missed, and our thoughts are with his family at this time. We would like to thank the many first responders whose quick action following our accident yesterday ensured our employees who needed medical care got it quickly."
There previously had been an explosion at the I. Schumann & Co. facility in 2006, although no serious injuries were reported at the time. Meanwhile, the facility has reportedly received several OSHA violations in recent years, and was found in violation by the Ohio EPA last year with regard to improper storage of hazardous waste, issues which it remedied.
