At least one person was killed and two more are presumed dead following the massive explosion on Friday night at an Illinois silicone factory, officials said. The AB Specialty Silicone factory in Waukegan, about 50 miles north of Chicago, was hollowed out Saturday morning as rescue teams suspended the search for two missing employees due to concerns over the stability of the remaining structure. Officials recovered the body of one employee who died. Four more employees were taken to the hospital and two others declined treatment. Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi said that it was unlikely that the two missing employees survived the explosion. "The conditions are really rough in there," he said. "There's a lot of damage. There was a lot of fire throughout." Lenzi said that rescue efforts were called off and crews wouldn’t resume the search until the remaining parts of the plant are torn down. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Investigators have not determined the cause of the explosion. The factory, which operated 24 hours a day, mixed chemicals and other materials to make silicone. At least five buildings nearby were damaged, with glass on windows and doors shattering, Lenzi said. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>One worker was found dead Saturday morning at an Illinois plant destroyed in a massive explosion Friday night that was felt up to 20 miles away and which rained debris down over a mile radius, fire officials said. The AB Specialty Silicones plant in Waukegan, Illinois, was operating at the time of the conflagration and two workers are still unaccounted for, said Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi. Firefighters had to stop searching for the missing workers because of the structural instability of the fire-damaged site, he said. "We're waiting to get in heavy equipment which will allow us to search the areas underneath the structure. That could happen as early as today or should happen by tomorrow, he said. The blast was so powerful Lenzi said there were reports of it being felt as a shaking up to 20 miles away. "The debris could be up to a mile away," he said. The immediate area around the shattered plant was littered with large pieces of wreckage. "There were some definitely big pieces and some heavy blocks and concrete that were thrown out into a very heavily-traveled street. We were very fortunate that no one was nearby when it occurred," he said. Four people were also injured in the explosion. At 10 p.m. Friday the sheriff’s office issued an alert on Twitter saying it was "aware of a very loud explosion sound and ground shaking in the Gurnee area.” Television images Saturday morning showed the plant almost totally destroyed. At least five other nearby buildings were also damaged in the explosion, which is estimated to have caused more than $1 million in destruction, Lenzi said. This is the second major industrial accident in the area in the last two weeks. On April 25 the town of Beach Park, five miles north of Waukegan, experienced a chemical leak that hospitalized 37 people, Sergeant Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s office said in a statement posted online. Containers of anhydrous ammonia, a fertilizer, leaked as it was being transported. Waukegan is about 40 miles north of Chicago, on the shore of Lake Michigan.<doc-sep>EMBED >More News Videos Officials gave an update on the Waukegan explosion investigation Wednesday. The Lake County coroner confirmed the fourth victim had been recovered. EMBED >More News Videos The Lake County Sheriff reports the explosion came from the AB Specialty Silicones plant in the area near Sunset Avenue and Northwestern Avenue in Waukegan. WAUKEGAN, Ill. (WLS) -- The fourth victim of the devastating explosion at AB Specialty Silicones plant in north suburban Waukegan Friday has been identified, hours after his body was recovered from the wreckage.The company identified the final victim as 24-year-old Daniel Nicklas of Beach Park, Ill. He was a quality control chemist and had been at the company for eight months, AB Specialty Silicones said in a statement.The three other victims , all from Wisconsin, had been identified as of Tuesday.The other victims were identified as: Byron Biehn, 53, of Union Grove, Wis., who was a second shift production supervisor, had been with the company for nine years and was one of its owners; Jeff Cummings, 57, of Kenosha, Wis., who was the third shift production supervisor and with the company for seven years; and Allen Stevens, 29, of Paddock Lake, Wis., who was the second shift chemical operator, had been with the company for two years and was an owner of the company. "We have lost our friend and colleagues, and know that their families have lost even more: fathers, grandfathers, husbands, sons, brothers," the statement said in part.Autopsies were performed on all three victims pulled from the rubble and toxicology tests are pending. They are trying to determine if the victims were overcome by smoke or died in the actual explosion.Stevens was rescued from the rubble and airlifted to Loyola Medicine's Burn Center. He died at the hospital on Saturday, from burns suffered in the explosion. "Great guy. Worked here a couple of years. Always had a smile on his face, ton of friends, hard-working. We knew he was going to go places," Craig Schilz, Stevens' former co-worker.Search teams recovered two bodies from the scene over the weekend.Cummings' son said he was a supervisor who ran back in to the plant to make sure his guys were out. His family called him a hero.Biehn's family called the loss unimaginable.A memorial service will be held on Friday for employees, friends and families at the site of the Waukegan facility, the company said. It will honor the victims and the first responders.Officials have concluded all scene investigations, but the investigation into the event itself is still open, the fire chief said. The AB Silicones plant will reopen May 13, but will be closed periodically for employees to attend funerals over the course of the next week, the company said.Nine people were inside the plant at the time of the explosion , which could be felt miles away and scattered debris for blocks. "We have been in close contact with both families and our deepest condolences go out to them during this difficult time. This is truly an awful tragedy of epic proportion. We continue to work on scene, in efforts to recover the final victim. Our condolences also go out to the entire AB Specialty Silicones family. We know this has been a trying time for you all, as well," said Lake County Coroner Howard Cooper added.Emergency crews have had to work slowly and carefully during this recovery process. "Every time you cut a piece away, every time you pull a piece away, you have the possibility of further collapse," Waukegan Fire Marshal Steven Lenzi said.The next big task for crews is to piece together evidence buried at the scene and determine what caused the explosion. "We don't want to destroy any evidence that may be under there, and we need to do it slowly and methodically, safely, for all personnel involved," Lenzi said.The Lake County Coroner's Office, Waukegan Police Department, Waukegan Fire Department and Office of the State Fire Marshal are working together on the investigation, which could take weeks to complete.<doc-sep>
Two people have died and two others are missing feared dead after an overnight explosion and fire at an Illinois silicone plant. Waukegan fire marshal Steven Lenzi said one body was recovered on Saturday morning while another victim died after being taken to Loyola medical center in Maywood for treatment. Crews at one stage have suspended their search for the other two workers due to concerns about the stability of the structure. Nine employees were inside the plant when the explosion occurred at about 9.30pm local time Friday at AB Specialty Silicones in Waukegan, about 50 miles (80km) north of Chicago. A total of four workers were taken to hospitals and two declined treatment. Lenzi said earlier Saturday it was “not likely” that any of the missing workers survived. He said it will take several days before crews are able to resume searching. The cause of the explosion is unknown. He said the plant typically operates 24 hours a day, mixing chemicals and other materials to make silicone. The state fire marshal is investigating, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Residents in the area said they heard the explosion and felt their homes shake. Five buildings nearby were damaged, with glass on windows and doors shattering, Lenzi said. Nancy Carreno, who lives near the plant, told the Chicago Tribune the explosion didn’t break any windows but it was loud. She said electricity flickered then came back on. Lenzi says more than 100 firefighters from at least 30 departments responded to the scene.