Atleast 15 people were injured on Friday after a liquid nitrogen line exploded ata Textron Aviation plant near Wichita, Kansas, potentially setting back thelaunch of a new aircraft under development, county and company officials said.
Emergency medical services took 11 people to the hospital, one ofthem suffering potentially serious injuries, Dr. John Gallagher, director ofSedgwick County EMS, told a news conference.
Company officials said that two of the victims went to the hospital in private cars and two were treated at the scene. Injuries were limited because only a skeleton crew was on duty during the holidays, said Deputy Chief Daniel Wegner of the Sedgwick County Fire Department.
Theexplosion in a 3-inch liquid nitrogen gas line also damaged a storage tank,causing nitrogen gas to vent out of the building, Wegner said.
