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Kentucky factory explosion reminds Louisville woman of different explosion that killed her step-father

An explosion at a Louisville factory on Tuesday left people shaken and properties damaged.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two people are dead and several hospitalized following the explosion at a factory in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood.

The incident was reported at the Givaudan Sense Colour manufacturing plant in the 1900 block of Payne Street around 3 p.m. Tuesday. The plant is known for producing caramel color in soft drinks.

Givaudan released a statement Wednesday, saying two of their employees were killed in the explosion.

The force of the explosion ripped through 

Everyone employed at the facility had been accounted for, including two people who had to be rescued from the building by the Louisville Fire Department.

Mayor Craig Greenberg said homes in the vicinity were evacuated after the explosion. It is not yet known what chemicals may have been involved in the explosion or released into the air.

It led them to issue a one-mile shelter in place that was lifted just before 5 p.m.

"I was sitting in my living room and all at once, BOOM!," said Clifton resident, Betty Bennett. "I knew it was an explosion."

Tuesday's factory explosion brings Bennett back 21 years ago, where she said her step-father, Louis Perry, was killed in an explosion at that same factory in 2003.

In April 2003, one person was killed at the plant after a catastrophic vessel failure, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB).

"It was the same sound," said Bennett. "Twenty minutes after we heard the explosion in 2003, there was a knock on my door, and it was my sisters telling me that my step-dad had been killed over there in the explosion."

Her heart goes out to the people and the families of those injured in Tuesday's explosion.

"I'm wanting to know how many times this is going to have to happen before they close the place down," said Bennett.

According to reports, a process vessel became overpressurized and failed catastrophically. The failure caused 26,000 pounds of aqueous ammonia (29.4 percent ammonia solution in water) to be released in the air. 

The plant also sustained major damages. During the 2003 explosion, 26 people were evacuated and 1,500 shelters in place. The explosion also caused extensive damage to the western end of the facility.

Since then, the factory is under a new company. 

Buildings a few blocks from the plant sustained damage after the explosion. Quill's Coffee off Frankfort Avenue had its front window shattered. 

A coffee shop employee told WHAS11 News customers were inside the shop at the time of the explosion, but none were close to the front window and didn't receive any injuries. The damage will take thousands of dollars to repair.

 "All of the sudden, I felt and heard the windows shake," Jason Deming, the pastor of executive leadership at Clifton Baptist Church, said. "It was a large boom."

Deming was in his office at the church when he heard the explosion.

"Immediately, I thought back to when explosions went off in Afghanistan," said Deming. "I felt that same concussion, the air left and then went back out." 

It may be the service experience, but the veteran went outside to assess the situation, checked to see if everyone was okay, and saw the damage to Quill's Coffee across the street.

"After things had settled, and I saw the damage at Quills, it started to dawn on me like, 'Wow, this may have had damage to our building,'" said Deming.

He then noticed the shattered glass from the church's historic stain-glass windows on the ground outside, and inside the church. 

Clifton Baptist Church will be hosting a service on Wednesday for anyone who wants to pray and process what happened.

Clifton Baptist Church was built in 1936, with the stain-glass fixtures donated in commemoration of people and family members. 

"It looks almost like an accordion from the side," said Deming. "You can see where those lines used to be straight and now, they kind of zig zag."

The stain glass fixtures have shifted, and some have broken off. Deming said it's hard to tell if they are salvageable or not.

But, Deming said the church knows the community is going through a hard time and is opening its doors to people looking for support.

"We just really want to be a resource for the people around here," said Deming. "I'm recognizing it's easy to see the physical damage of this space, it's a little harder to see the emotional and kind of spiritual wounds that may have happening from this."

Deming said Clifton Baptist has service Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m., and prayer service Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. 

He stayed late with volunteers to put plastic over all the windows to avoid additional water and environmental damage. 

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