Evidence suggests blast caused International Nutrition accident 2 dead 10 injured

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140126/NEWS/140128945/1685#evidence-suggests-blast-caused-international-nutrition-accident

Answer could take up to 6 months

By Barbara Soderlin and Henry J. Cordes Published Sunday, January 26, 2014 at 12:21 am / Updated at 1:56 am

Five experts in building structures and grain dust explosions say early indications point to a blast as a likely cause of the International Nutrition plant collapse that killed two men Monday in Omaha.

The official investigation could take up to six months. But looking at photos of the disaster for The World-Herald, the experts said signs of an explosion include building panels that are bowed out and other panels that appear to have been forced away from the building by a blast, possibly because they were designed to release pressure.

The experts also said it is unlikely that such a catastrophic structural failure came first, given that the building was in regular use with no apparent problems.

“You would have to have some kind of explosive force to cause that to collapse,” said Robert Schoeff, a retired Kansas State University professor who spent decades tracking and studying dust explosions.

FULL story at link.