ATLANTA :- A woman died and two others were hospitalized for injuries following an overnight fire at a Tyson Foods plant in southwest Georgia, state officials said Friday.
According to Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis, a wall fell on the cab of an 18-wheeler parked outside the factory, killing the wife of a truck driver who was sleeping inside. He named the victim as Bajarma Batozhapov, 61, from Las Vegas.
The Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, which represents 1,600 plant workers, announced on Friday that a boiler had exploded. Tyson stated that it was collaborating with local authorities to determine the cause of the incident. Officials say the fire lasted nearly three hours.
Heavy machinery was needed to clear debris from the truck, and Willis stated that the woman’s corpse was not located until around 2 p.m. Friday.
The woman’s spouse was not in the truck and was not hurt, he stated. Willis declined to specify the woman’s cause of death, but said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation would conduct an autopsy on Monday.
“We send our heartfelt sympathies to their family and friends at this difficult time. We are still gathering details, but safeguarding the safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are launching a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident,” Tyson said in a statement.
Bryce Rawson, a representative for the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed the death and injuries but declined to comment further Friday afternoon due to the continuing investigation.
The Camilla facility, which employs over 5,000 people, is Mitchell County’s largest employer. Tyson purchased it in 2018 as part of its $2.16 billion acquisition of Keystone Foods. According to the union, the business mostly makes chicken nuggets and fillets for eateries.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy down here, and Tyson is a major part of that,” Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens said.
According to Owens, Tyson is more than just an employment in the city.
“Not only are they important to the economy, they’re important to us as people,” Owens told the crowd. “We consider them family and we’re going to do everything we can to support them during this time.”
Durbin reported from Detroit. Charlotte Kramon in Los Angeles contributed.