Explosion at Baltimore coal terminal; no reported injuries

An explosion at a CSX facility in Baltimore created a loud boom Thursday, but officials said no injuries were reported.

Coal was moving though tunnels near Benhill Avenue when the explosion happened, Baltimore Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Adams said. No contractors were in either of the two tunnels that the coal moved through, Adams said.

CSX spokeswoman Cindy Schild confirmed in an email that an explosion took place at the CSX Curtis Bay Coal Terminal, but did not elaborate. She said the cause was still under investigation, that all employees were accounted for and there were no injuries.

There was no fire but fire crews were on the scene as a precaution "to make sure there aren't any collapse hazards,” she said.

Social media lit up with Baltimore-area residents reporting hearing a loud explosion.

Justin Helms, who lives near the Curtis Bay facility, told The Baltimore Sun that he feared there had been a bombing when he felt the blast while walking his dogs. Puddles shook from the force “like the T-Rex scene from Jurassic Park,” he said. Several of his neighbours lost windows, but Helms' home didn't appear damaged, he said.

Helms, who previously worked for a contractor that cleaned the CSX Coal Pier silos, said employees were repeatedly warned that the materials inside were potentially explosive.

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