Formosa Plastics Vinyl Plant Explodes

Four workers were killed and several others injured on April 23, 2004 in an

explosion at a Formosa Plastics polyvinyl chloride (PVC) production facility in Illiopolis, Illinois. A fifth worker died of his injuries on May 13. The series of explosions, which destroyed most of the plant, “apparently followed a release of highly flammable vinyl chloride, which ignited,” according to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The accident also caused the evacuation of about 1,000 nearby residents, the closing of Interstate 72 between Illiopolis and Niantic for several hours, and the temporary loss of power in both towns.