A fire broke out overnight at a Tyson Foods plant in southwest Georgia, leaving one woman dead and two others hospitalized with injuries, state officials said Friday.
Mitchell County Coroner Robbie Willis told The Associated Press that a wall fell onto the cab of an 18-wheeler parked outside the factory, killing the truck driver's wife who was asleep inside. He identified the victim as Bajarma Batzhapov, 61, of Las Vegas.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 1,600 workers at the plant, announced Friday that a boiler had exploded. Tyson said he is working with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire. The fire continued to burn for about three hours, authorities said.
Heavy equipment was needed to remove debris from the truck, and Willis said the woman's body was not recovered until about 2 p.m. Friday. The woman's husband was not in the truck and was not injured. Willis did not say the cause of the woman's death, but said an autopsy would be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Monday.
“Our hearts go out to their families and friends during this difficult time. While we are still gathering the facts, our top priority is to ensure the safety of our team members and we are thoroughly investigating the cause. We are conducting an investigation into the “fire,'' Tyson said in a statement.
The Tyson Foods logo is affixed to a truck parked at a food warehouse. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Bryce Lawson, a spokesman for the Georgia State Fire Marshal's Office, confirmed the deaths and injuries but said he could not release anything further Friday afternoon because the investigation was ongoing.
With a population of approximately 5,000 people, the Camilla plant is Mitchell County's largest employer. Tyson acquired the company in 2018 as part of its $2.16 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods. The union says the factory mainly produces chicken nuggets and chicken fillets for restaurants.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy here, and Tyson is a major part of that,” said Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens.
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Owens said Tyson is more than just an employer to the city.
“They're not only important to the economy, they're important to us as humans,” Owens said. “We consider them family and will do everything we can to support them during this time.”
