NEWS

Army identifies person killed in plant explosion near Kansas City

Jim Suhr
This photo from video by KCTV5 shows damage to the side of a building in the aftermath of a fatal explosion at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence, Mo., Tuesday, April 11, 2017. (KCTV5 via AP)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A worker who died during an explosion at an ammunition plant in Missouri has been identified as a 55-year-old man from suburban Kansas City.

The U.S. Army says Lawrence Bass, of Blue Springs, Missouri, died Tuesday after the blast at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence. The Army did not say how long Bass worked there or what job he did.

Four other workers were treated at the scene. The explosion occurred in a building where chemicals are mixed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is leading the investigation.

The plant makes and tests small-caliber ammunition for the military. It also operates the NATO test center.

Contractor Orbital ATK operates the plant. Orbital is the biggest maker of small-caliber ammunition for the U.S. Department of Defense.