A woman has died and two others were hospitalized with injuries after an overnight fire broke out at a Tyson Foods plant in southwest Georgia, state officials said Friday.
A wall fell on top of an 18-wheel truck parked outside the facility, Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis told the Associated Press, killing the truck driver’s wife who was sleeping inside. He identified the victim as Bajarma Batozhapov, 61, of Las Vegas.
EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES MANY, COMPANY CONFIRMED.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 1,600 workers at the facility, said on Friday that the boiler exploded. Tyson said he is working with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire. Officials said the fire burned for about three hours.
Large equipment was needed to remove the debris from the truck and Willis said the woman’s body had not been found as of 2pm on Friday. The woman’s husband was not in the truck and was not injured, he said. Willis declined to comment on the woman’s cause of death, saying an autopsy will be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Monday.
“We offer our condolences to their family and friends at this difficult time. We are currently gathering the facts, but ensuring the safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of this fire,” Tyson said in a statement.
A Tyson Foods logo can be seen on a truck parked in a food warehouse. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Bryce Rawson, a spokesman for the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed the death and injuries but said he could not comment Friday afternoon as the investigation is ongoing.
The plant in Camilla, which employs about 5,000 people, is the largest employer in Mitchell County. Tyson bought it in 2018 as part of its purchase of Keystone Foods for $2.16 billion. The union said the plant produces chicken nuggets and chicken fillets for restaurants.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy here and Tyson is a big part of that,” said Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens.
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Owens said Tyson is more than just a city employer.
“They’re not just important to the economy, they’re important to us as people,” said Owens. “We consider them family and will do everything we can to support them at this time.”
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