An explosion and fire early this morning at the Yenkin-Majestic Paint facility on Leonard Avenue in Columbus has left several people injured. Authorities say one person initially unaccounted for has been found deceased.
Here's a statement sent later in the morning from the Columbus Division of Fire:
With the assistance of daylight, we have continued to secure the scene of this morning’s fire at 1920 Leonard Ave. We were able to see a lot more damage that resulted from the explosion and see how the building structure had been compromised. After consulting with the business representatives who were able to help us understand what hazards we could expect and prevent, fire investigators were able to go into some areas of the building that were not accessible earlier.
The unaccounted person mentioned last night, Wendell Light, 44, was found deceased, around 9:16 am. He was partially covered in ruble of the collapsed building.
Light was a Press Room Supervisor for Yenkin Majestic Paint, a manufacturer of paints, resins and other coatings.
The condition of the eight other victims who were transported remains unchanged from “stable.”
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Some of the injured were able to get out of the plant while others were rescued before being taken to the hospital. Some nearby businesses were evacuated.
Columbus firefighters responded to the fire shortly after midnight. It took about five hours to contain the scene.
