On the morning of January 26, 2022, Louisiana State Police confirmed an explosion at a Westlake Chemical Corporation facility in Westlake, Louisiana located between I-10 and I-210 on PPG Drive, just about 4 miles west of Lake Charles. Initial reports are that at least six people were injured, including five workers who have been hospitalized.
A shelter-in-place was issued for the surrounding area with many also reporting that their homes were shaken by the force of the Explosion. The explosion and the subsequent large plumes of black smoke that could be seen in the sky for miles also prompted lockdowns at all schools in the towns of Sulphur and Westlake. A company spokesperson has indicated that the explosion occurred among the facility’s ethylene dichloride storage tanks at the south plant. This chemical is commonly used in fuel, plastics, and cleaning supplies.
This news comes nearly four months to the day after the company reported an explosion at a sister facility that injured six workers. That explosion which occurred just before midnight on September 27, 2021, happened during a maintenance project according to company officials. Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner was among the first to file lawsuits on behalf of the injured workers following that incident.
The experienced trial attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have successfully represented victims and families of catastrophic plant explosions and are available for a free consultation. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a chemical plant accident, call us at 713-222-7211 or toll-free at 1‑888-261-9018.