NEWSPAPER & ARCHIVE
Attleboro, Mass. (AP) - An explosion heard for miles leveled a chemical plant building Sunday night, inflicting death and injury on a Sunday shift.
Further blasts were feared as fire swept a warehouse.
Two persons were known dead and at least 10 injured.
The dead were identified as WILLIAM CANIGLIA, 35, North Providence, R. I., and NORMAN ST. PIERRE, 29.
The blast at the THOMPSON Chemical Co. plant was heard in Boston, about 40 miles north of Attleboro.
A lesser explosion shook the same plant last Friday, injuring one worker. Fire officials said Friday's blast resulted when a safety cap blew off a vaporizer used in a chemical process.
About 40 persons were believed at work when Sunday's blast occurred around 7 p. m.
The building that blew up - known to employes as V1 - disintegrated from the force of the explosion. Then the fire skipped to another building 200 feet away where compounds were used to make vinyl resins. This burned for hours.
Evacuees from 100 or 250 homes were taken to McKenna Junior High School and Civil Defense units rushed from Boston to aid them.
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