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(NewsNation) — Two people were killed and at least 10 others were injured Monday after multiple explosions at a U.S. Steel plant just outside Pittsburgh.
Clairton Coke Works, a massive industrial facility along the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh, is considered the largest coking operation in North America, NewsNation local affiliate WHTM reported.
Monday's explosion was the latest in a list of incidents and violations at the facility.
Previous incidents at Clairton Coke Works
In February 2025, a battery fire caused an audible boom and sent two workers to the hospital, local media reported.
A year before that, the Allegheny County Health Department fined U.S. Steel nearly $2 million for violating the Clean Air Act more than 360 times, according to department records.
The county also fined U.S. Steel for hydrogen sulfide pollution in December 2023.
Emergency crew gather after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant on Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)
A portion of the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel plant, is seen Aug. 11, 2025, in Clairton, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
This image provided by Amy Sowers shows smoke from the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works on Aug. 11, 2025 in Clairton, Pa. (Amy Sowers via AP)
An emergency crew is seen after an explosion at the Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)
The Clairton Coke Works, a U.S. Steel coking plant, is seen Aug 11, 2025, in Clairton, Penn. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)
And on Christmas Eve 2018, a massive fire caused $40 million in damage — knocking pollution controls offline and leading to days of sulfur dioxide spikes, CBS News reported.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman referenced that fire on Monday.
“It just reminds people of how dangerous of a job that this is. … To me, it reminds me of that huge fire that happened Christmas Eve five to six years ago, and they were able to bounce back and in record time," he told reporters on the scene.
Since that blaze, the factory has spent millions on lawsuits, settlements and emission cuts.
U.S. Steel, now partnered with Nippon Steel, said it is cooperating with investigators and called worker safety a top priority "every day, every shift, 365."
Investigators are still looking into the cause of Monday's blast.
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