A woman was killed and two other people were hospitalized with injuries after a fire broke out at a Tyson Foods plant overnight Southwest Georgiastate officials said Friday.
A wall fell on the cab of an 18-wheeler truck parked outside the plant, Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis told The Associated Press, killing a truck driver’s wife who was sleeping inside. He identified the victim as Bajarma Batozhapov, 61, of Las Vegas.
EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2 PEOPLE, INJURIES SEVERALS, COMPANY CONFIRMS
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 1,600 workers at the plant, said Friday that a boiler exploded. Tyson said it was working with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire. Officials said the fire burned for about three hours.
Heavy equipment was required to remove debris from the truck, and Willis said the woman’s body was not recovered until Friday around 2 p.m. The woman’s husband was not in the truck and was not injured, he said. Willis declined to provide a cause of death for the woman and said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation would conduct an autopsy on Monday.
“We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends at this difficult time. At this time, we are still gathering the facts, but the safety of our team members is our top priority and we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire,” Tyson said in a statement.
A Tyson Foods logo is seen on a truck parked in front of a food warehouse. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Bryce Rawson, a spokesman for the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed the death and injuries but said he could not provide further information Friday afternoon because the investigation was still ongoing.
The Camilla plant, with about 5,000 residents, is the largest employer in Mitchell County. Tyson bought it in 2018 as part of its $2.16 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods. The union said the plant is primarily manufacturing Chicken nuggets and chicken fillets for restaurants.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy down here and Tyson is an important part of it,” said Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens.
Owens said Tyson is more than just an employer for the city.
“Not only are they important to the economy, they are important to us as people,” Owens said. “We consider them our family and will do everything we can to support them during this time.”
