LYNCHBURG, Va. – Three people are injured after a pipe exploded in downtown Lynchburg Wednesday night.
Battalion Chief Mike Reeves told 10 News that molten metal was dumped into a vat that had some water in it, creating a steam explosion.
The call for the incident came in just after 10 p.m.
Three employees for the U.S. Pipe were transported to Lynchburg General Hospital. Two employees sustained minor injuries while the other has significant injuries that are not life-threatening.
Reeves said the incident is believed to be an accident.
Chief Greg Wormser with the Lynchburg Fire Department said the molten metal was at least 3,000 degrees when it came in contact with the water.
“This was not something that could have been prevented any other way. I think it was just a situation where the wrong products came in contact with each other,” said Wormser.