An explosion at a US Steel plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania, has killed two workers and injured at least 10 others, officials confirmed on Monday. The blast occurred at the Clairton Coke Works, a coking facility about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, sending black smoke into the sky and prompting a search-and-rescue operation.
First responders were called to the scene around 10.51am. Hours later, the body of one worker was recovered from the wreckage, with authorities later confirming a second death. Witnesses described feeling the explosion like thunder. "It shook the scaffold, shook my chest, and shook the building," said construction worker Zachary Buday, who was nearby.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said his administration was in touch with local officials and had offered assistance. US Senator John Fetterman, a former mayor of Braddock, called the incident "absolutely tragic" and vowed to support steelworkers. Clairton Mayor Richard Lattanzi expressed grief, noting the mill's deep ties to the community.
The Clairton plant, more than 120 years old, is the largest coking operation in North America, baking coal into coke for steelmaking. It has faced safety and pollution concerns previously, including a 2025 stack explosion and a pollution control malfunction. In 2019, US Steel settled a lawsuit for $8.5m over soot emissions and odours.
The Breathe Project, a local air quality group, warned that the facility may have released hazardous pollutants like asbestos and heavy metals during the explosion, noting this is the third major incident at the plant in 2025.
