Man critically burned in Utah magnesium plant explosion

A man was critically burned in an explosion at U.S. Magnesium.

The explosion was reported at the plant, near the southwest shore of the Great Salt Lake, about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday

Medical personnel at the plant called Tooele County dispatchers for a helicopter to take a man, in his 40s, to the hospital, said Bucky Whitehouse, Tooele County emergency management director.

The man had been burned on his head and upper torso and had suffered inhalation burns from breathing in superheated air, Whitehouse house. He was taken from the plant to the University Hospital's burn center in critical condition.

It was not immediately clear where in the plant the explosion occurred or what had exploded. Whitehouse could not confirm whether the man was an employee and had not heard of any change in his condition as of Thursday morning.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will handle, Whitehouse said.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

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