Explosion at Wisconsin corn mill causes casualties

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By BNO NEWS

Emergency services in Wisconsin are responding to an explosion and fire at the Didion Milling plant in Cambria, local officials say. There are reports of multiple casualties but details are still limited.

The incident happened late on Wednesday evening when a large blast occurred at the Didion Milling Corn Mill, which is located on Williams Street in the town of Cambria, about 35 miles (57 kilometers) northeast of Madison.

The explosion was initially said to have occurred at the ethanol plant, but authorities later confirmed that it happened at the corn mill, where corn and corn by-products are processed for the ethanol plant which is just across the street.

According to initial reports, multiple people have been injured and a number of people remain unaccounted-for. It was not immediately known how many people had been injured, but the incident has been classified as a “mass casualty incident.” Victims are suffering from burn injuries..

Photos from the scene show that at least one building has collapsed as a result of the explosion. The emergency response has been upgraded to 4th alarm and multiple air ambulances as well as the Heavy Urban Rescue Team of the Madison Fire Department have been called to the scene.

“We are praying for our team,” Didion Milling President Riley Didion told Channel 3000. “There’s a lot we don’t know right now. Our prayers are with everyone.”

The explosion also caused a number of power lines to fall, resulting in power outages in Cambria and the nearby village of Randolph. About 1,500 customers were without power at one point, but Alliant Energy reported just before 12:30 a.m. that power was restored for about 600 customers.

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