A reported explosion at a Georgia Tyson Foods factory on Tuesday, December 24, Christmas Eve, killed one person and injured several others. According to the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, a boiler inside the factory exploded. This caused a fire that lasted for three hours.
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According to CNN, the victim is a 61-year-old Las Vegas woman. WALB and WKRG report the woman's name is Bajarm Batozhatov. She was accompanying her husband, Tcyden Batozhatov, who was inside the building. Reportedly, she died inside her husband's truck after a concrete wall fell on top of the truck. Camilla Fire Chief, Jamie Sullivan, confirmed that heavy machinery was used to access Batozhatov's body, hours after the incident.
The fire lasted for three hours, and, according to The Associated Press, it injured two other people, who required hospitalization. An investigation will determine the cause of the fire.
"We are working with the company and local emergency authorities to ensure that all the workers impacted are taken care of," Stuart Appelbaum and Edgar Fields of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said in a joint statement.
"Our members and the community of Camilla depend on this facility operating, it is too early to tell what happened last night, but there must be a thorough investigation into this incident, and workers must be able to work safely in the facility. No worker should ever have to worry that when they go to work, they may not be able to return home safe and sound."
Tyson Food Factory
The Tyson Foods plant in Camila, Georgia, is the largest employer in Mitchel County, according to WKRG. Camila has a population of 5,000 people. Following Tyson's purchase of Keystone Foods, the former acquired the factory in 2018.
A Tyson Foods spokesperson shared a statement with several outlets. "We are working closely with local authorities to determine the cause of a late-night fire at our Camilla, Georgia facility that resulted in the death of one person and several injuries," the statement reads. "We extend our deepest condolences to their family and friends during this difficult time."
"Right now we are still 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 the fire," the statement concludes.
