Explosion at McNeilus plant injures six

An explosion that occurred Jan. 11, 2017, at McNeilus Truck & Manufacturing Inc. in Dodge Center, Minnesota, injured six employees, but according to Associated Press (AP) reports, the situation could have been far worse.

Dodge County Sheriff Scott Rose told the AP many employees who would have been in the area of the explosion were off-site at a training exercise when the blast happened around 10:30 a.m.

Six people reportedly were injured in the incident. Two were flown by medical helicopter to a St. Paul hospital, and two were taken by ambulance to a Rochester hospital, the AP report says. Another two were treated at the scene for minor medical issues.

The complex closed production for the day. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The plant, located on 145-acres, makes cement trucks and refuse trucks and is a major employer in Dodge Center, employing on average between 1,000 and 1,200 people, according to the AP article.