One dead, 2 hospitalized after fire at Tyson Foods plant in Georgia

A woman died and two other people were hospitalized with injuries after a night fire at the Tyson Foods factory in Southwestern Georgiastate officials said Friday.

The wall fell on the cab of an 18-wheeler parked outside the plant, Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis told The Associated Press, killing the truck driver’s wife who was sleeping inside. He identified the victim as Bayarma Batozhapova, 61, of Las Vegas.

EXPLOSION AT LOUISVILLE FACTORY KILLS 2, INJURES MORE, COMPANY CONFIRMS

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Stores Union, which represents 1,600 workers at the factory, said Friday that a boiler had exploded. Tyson said he is working with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire. Officials said the fire burned for about three hours.

Heavy equipment was needed to remove debris from the truck, and Willis said the woman’s body was not found until about 2 p.m. Friday. The woman’s husband was not in the truck and was not injured, he said. Willis declined to give the woman’s cause of death and said an autopsy would be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Monday.

“We offer our deepest condolences to their family and friends at this difficult time. We are currently still gathering the facts, but ensuring the safety of our team members is our top priority and we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire accident,” Tyson said in a statement.

The Tyson Foods logo is seen on a truck parked in a food warehouse. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

Bryce Rawson, a spokesman for the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed the death and injuries but said he could not comment further Friday afternoon because the investigation is ongoing.

The Camilla plant, which has a population of about 5,000 people, is Mitchell County’s largest employer. Tyson bought it in 2018 as part of its purchase of Keystone Foods for $2.16 billion. The union said the factory primarily produces chicken pieces and chicken fillets for restaurants.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy down here and Tyson is a major part of it,” said Camille Mayor Kelvin Owens.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Owens said Tyson is more than just an employer for the city.

“Not only are they important to the economy, they’re important to us as people,” Owens said. “We consider them family and will do everything we can to support them during this time.”