Multiple plant workers were injured in a Wednesday morning explosion. It sent shrapnel flying into nearby parking lots and family members rushing to find loved ones. 11Alive News has multiple journalists on the scene and in research working to determine what happened. Here's what we know about the Bonnell Plant explosion right now.
Where was the explosion?
The explosion happened Wednesday morning at approximately 9:15 at the Bonnell Aluminum plant at 138 Temple Ave. in Newnan. Businesses and nearby homes shook with the explosion.
"It shook my house, that’s how I knew something was wrong," said Anisha Britt, a plant employee.
"It sounded like an atomic bomb went off," said Frank Townsend who lives nearby.
While nearby businesses reported shrapnel in their parking lots, no one outside of the plant was injured.
PHOTOS | Newnan Plant explosion
What happened?
There was an explosion in the casting area of the plant, blowing a hole in one of the main building and injuring several workers.
"It was a loud boom. Of course, first instinct when you hear that you’re going to stand up and look and see what’s going on. We heard it again, lights went off and everyone took off running," said Ashley Phillips, a plant employee who was working at the time of the explosion.
Workers inside the plant immediately called 911.
Family members and other workers were directed to a nearby fire station to meet for information and support.
"At this time, it’s too early to speculate on what caused the accident but we are working closely with local fire officials and others to conduct a thorough investigation," a company spokesperson said.
Who was injured?
Five people were injured. At least one person was transported by chopper in serious condition to the Atlanta Medical Center. Capt. Criag Sherrer with the Coweta County Fire Department said two individuals were transported by chopper, but the company spokesperson said they confirmed it was just one.
According to the company, two other workers were transported to the local hospital. Two others were treated on site.
"We had everything ranging from, what would we call immediate life threatening injuries to wounded walking injuries, in other words the patients could walk out and handle themselves," said Capt. Sherrer.
"We are now in the process of notifying family members and offering whatever support they need during this challenging time. We will not release the names of the individuals until given permission by the families," a spokesperson for Bonnell said.
What's next?
The company plans to hold an update Wednesday afternoon. When that happens, 11Alive will stream the update on 11Alive.com.
What does the plant do?
The plant fabricates aluminum including etching, buffing and painting.
