A significant explosion occurred on Sunday night at an Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) facility situated in Decatur, Illinois, resulting in injuries to several employees, according to an official statement released by the company.
CNN has reported that, according to officials, at least eight individuals sustained injuries in the explosion. Deputy Fire Chief Dan Kline stated that the extent of these injuries remained uncertain.
ADM has indicated that the incident transpired at 7:11 pm CDT (12:11 am GMT) and that those injured have been transported to a hospital for medical attention.
As of Sunday night, the company had not yet determined the confirmed cause of the incident.
The Decatur site holds a pivotal role within ADM, serving as the company's North American headquarters and the largest facility in its global network. This location houses a soybean-crushing plant and boasts one of the world's largest corn-wet mills. Furthermore, it has the capacity to produce an impressive 375 million gallons of ethanol biofuel annually, making it the largest such facility in the United States, as reported by the Renewable Fuels Association.
It remains unclear whether the explosion will impact the processing capabilities of the facility. ADM has not promptly responded to requests for further details or comments on the matter.
