Molten debris rains down after deadly Ohio plant blast

STORY: Molten metal and debris rained down on an Ohio neighborhood on Monday after an explosion tore through a metals plant about 15 miles southeast of Cleveland.

At least one person was killed and about a dozen others injured, mostly with burns, according to officials and media reports.

The blast sent smoke billowing into the sky that could be seen for miles around the I. Schumann & Co. metals plant in Bedford.

Authorities said they did not yet know what caused the explosion.

But that all the casualties were people on site.

Oakwood Fire Department Captain Brian DiRocco told reporters at the scene that he had inspected the site before and found it a safe place, “except for the fact that it's a foundry. You are dealing with molten metal, so there's always an inherent danger.”

I. Schumann and Co. produces copper, brass and bronze alloys.

In a statement, the company said the cause was unknown and damage to the plant was "significant”.

It added, "We will work alongside investigators in their search for answers as part of our commitment to Northeast Ohio, where we have been operating for more than 100 years."

The explosion was about 70 miles northwest of East Palestine, Ohio, where a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed earlier this month, causing a spill and a blaze that forced thousands of people to evacuate from the area.