UXO Blamed For the Deaths of Two Scrap Metal Worker

Granite City, IL An explosion occurred at the Total Metal Recycling (TMR) plant resulting in the death of two workers and the injury of another. The victims were 46 and 24 years old respectively. The explosion was reported to be from a live munition item that accidentally ended up getting mixed in with the scrap metal being recycled.

An IL state bomb police squad unit responded along with an EOD team from Scott Air Force Base to investigate the. Granite City Police Chief Rich Miller said in a press statement, "there's nothing malicious," in what he described as an unfortunate industrial accident. TMR employs more than 160 people and according to their website, performs demilitarization.

An investigation is underway to determine how the live munition ended up in the plant and what part of the range scrap control process failed.