If you can even believe it, another food processing plant has exploded, this time in Decatur, Ill. at a processing complex owned by Archer- Daniels-Midland (ADM).
Reports indicate that at least eight people suffered injuries – five of them are still being hospitalized for critical injuries – after the plant caught fire and exploded just after 7pm CST on September 10.
"ADM immediately contacted the Decatur Fire Department, which remains on the scene. Several employees were injured and transported to the local hospital for treatment," a spokesperson from the company said.
"Our thoughts are with our colleagues. We do not have a confirmed cause at this time."
We know that the plant in question processed corn and soy, two major commodities whose derivatives are used in all sorts of food products consumed by Americans. Typically, corn and soy are genetically modified (GMO) if grown in the U.S.
This particular ADM plant "crushes soybeans into soybean oil and white flake for soy protein production," according to Reuters.
"An adjacent corn processing plant was also 'temporarily down until we can safely resume operations,'" Reuters added, quoting company officials. As of Sunday night, the day the incident occurred, the cause of the explosion has not been confirmed – check out video footage of the explosion and fires below: