The incident occurred at the RM Palmer Company in West Reading.
Two people are dead, 9 are missing and multiple others are injured after an explosion at a chocolate factory Friday in West Reading, Pennsylvania, police and city officials said.
The explosion occurred at around 4:57 p.m. at the RM Palmer Company in West Reading, located about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
According to West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben, teams are still searching through the rubble.
The explosion caused destruction to one building nearby and damaged another. The cause for the explosion is not known, and there is no danger to residents, officials said.
At a press conference, Mayor Samantha Kaag, a former volunteer firefighter, called the incident “pretty scary,” and said that the explosion was so strong that it pushed a building back four feet. She added the factory building was “pretty leveled” and crews will “probably” be working through the night and weekend at the scene of the explosion.
Images of the scene showed smoke and flames billowing from the factory earlier Friday evening.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.