A massive explosion killed two people and injured ten others at one of the oldest and largest factories in the United States, United States Steel Corp. in Pennsylvania.
The plant, located near Pittsburgh, is known as the largest coking operation in North America and is one of US Steel's four major steel plants in the state, according to The Associated Press.
A senior US Steel official said a single explosion had occurred but the cause was still unknown, CNN reported. Local authorities had urged residents in the area to stay indoors.
The explosion came after Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp. completed its $14.1 billion acquisition of the Pittsburgh-based company in June.
The acquisition gave the United States government a golden share in US Steel, which gave it the right to veto strategic decisions in the company's management.
Nippon Steel's proposed acquisition of US Steel had been dormant for months after Donald Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, blocked the purchase on national security grounds.
Trump also opposed the deal during his presidential campaign, but he changed his stance after taking office for his second non-consecutive term, and eventually allowed the Japanese and US steel companies to sign a national security agreement with the US government and finalize the deal.
