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One Dead, Several Injured In Explosion At Columbus Plant

Columbus Division of Fire

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. 

Mike Foley joined WCBE in February 2000, coming from WUFT in Gainesville, Florida. Foley has worked in various roles, from producing news and feature stories to engineering Live From Studio A sessions. A series of music features Foley started in 2018 called Music Journeys has grown into a podcast and radio show. He also assists in developing other programs in WCBE's Podcast Experience. Foley hosts The Morning Mix, a weekday music show featuring emerging and established musicians, our Columbus-area and Ohio-based talent, and additional artists that inspire him.