Updated at 6:55 p.m. ET: SARTELL, Minn. -- An explosion and fire on Monday at the Verso paper mill in Sartell killed one person and injured at least four others, authorities said.
The fire sent heavy black smoke pouring out of the center of mill.
A full shift had been working inside the mill when an air compressor exploded about noon, Verso spokesman Pat Gibney told the St. Cloud Times.
The fire was in an area where wood products are located. Fire officials were not worried about chemicals, and the local neighborhood was not evacuated, according to the St. Could Times.
Officials did not release the name of the person killed. The four injured people were taken to area hospitals, the newspaper reported.
According to KARE 11 TV in St. Paul, Minn., Dan McClure, who lives near the plant, was mowing his grass when he heard a sound that sounded like thunder. He said smoke was black and thick, but appeared to later thin out a bit.
Matt Dahl, another resident in the area, said there was one huge explosion that shook his whole house. He told KARE11 TV he ran outside and saw black smoke and flames shooting up into the sky.
The city of Sartell has nearly 16,000 residents. The mill in Sartell, established in 1905, produces lightweight coated papers for printing, according to the Verso website.
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