Chemical plant fire kills 3 in Michigan

RIVERVIEW, Michigan (CNN) -- Three people died and seven were injured Saturday when a fire erupted at a chemical plant in Riverview, Michigan, emitting fumes that forced the evacuation of residents in nearby towns and closed a portion of the Detroit River.

The fire at the ATOFINA Chemicals plant, which sits on the river in Riverview, began at about 4 a.m. EDT, said Riverview Fire Department Capt. Ken Williamson.

Three employees working overnight were killed in the accident, according to ATOFINA spokeswoman Jane Crawford. She identified them as shift superintendent Edwin Wrobleski, 47, process operator Kenneth Cox, 56, and Terry Stein, 41. They had worked at the plant for 27, 13 and 18 years, respectively.

Stein's body was recovered on Saturday evening, Crawford said. He was the last fatality found, having been reported missing since the fire broke out.

Seven men -- three plant employees, two firefighters and two civilians -- were brought to Oakwood Seaway Hospital in Trenton, Michigan, for exposure to noxious fumes, according to hospital spokesman Ken Bearden. He said all were stable and likely to be released by Saturday night.

Officials do not know what caused the fire and would begin an investigation as soon as the site was secured, Plant Manager Joe Alli said.

Alli said it was clear, however, that the fire started in a railroad car of methyl mercaptan, a toxic chemical similar to an additive used to make natural gas have an odor. At this plant, the chemical was used to manufacture chicken feed.

Fire departments from five cities responded, Williamson said, and the fire was out by 11:30 a.m. EDT.

"Our main focus, as you can probably imagine, is getting assistance to the families of the victims," Crawford said.

A ten-mile stretch of the river, from the Detroit suburb of Wyandotte south to Gibraltar, was shut down because of the fumes, said Williamson. A Coast Guard spokesman said it was reopened at 4:45 p.m. EDT, but teams were continuing to test the water and air.

Rail cars of chlorine were nearby, and Crawford said the company was taking steps to protect the chlorine. Plant chemist Tom Overgaard said methyl mercaptan and chlorine are routinely mixed under controlled conditions but are not meant to mix in the open air, where they pose a danger of reignition.

Slow-moving winds were blowing the vapors to the southeast, toward Grosse Ile, an island in the river. Crawford said company officials were working with fire departments and agents from the Environmental Protection Agency to determine what threat the chemical fumes posed.

Williamson said residents on the island and in Wyandotte were being advised to evacuate because the fumes posed an explosion hazard.

ATOFINA Chemicals is a division of ATOFINA, the world's fifth-largest chemical company. Its headquarters are in Philadelphia.

Crawford said the Riverview plant has been in operation since 1898, and manufactures chemicals used in pharmaceuticals, electronic components and agricultural products.

She described the plant as having a "pretty good" safety record in its century-long history.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have been affected by this terrible accident," a statement from the company said.