1 Killed in Major Fire at Tyson Foods Plant1 Killed in Major Fire at Tyson Foods Plant

A woman was killed and several other people injured in an overnight fire at a Tyson Foods poultry plant in Camilla, GA.

The fire occurred between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. EST. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said that a boiler had exploded at the plant. A union spokesperson told Bloomberg News that several members were severely burned.

The union also stated that one person had been pinned under debris following the boiler explosion. Additionally, several union members were "severely burned," Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said in a statement. The union said it represents more than 15,000 poultry workers in the southern United States, including about 1,600 workers at the Tyson facility in Camilla.

Tyson is working closely with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire, the statement said. "Right now we are still gathering the facts," a Tyson spokesperson said in the statement, adding, "we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire."

Tyson Foods is the largest employer in Mitchell County. The company bought the plant in 2018 as part of its $2.16 billion purchase of Keystone Foods. The union said the plant primarily produces chicken nuggets and chicken fillets for restaurants.

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