Two people were killed Tuesday afternoon after a factory explosion in Louisville’s Clifton neighborhood.
The explosion in Givaudian in the 1900 block of Payne Street shortly after 3 p.m. hospitalized at least 11 people and blew out windows in the area.
Company confirms two deaths in Clifton Givaudan explosion
Givaudian confirmed the deaths of two of its employees as a result of the explosion on Wednesday morning.
“We are deeply saddened to share the news that two of our team members were killed in this accident. Several other individuals were also injured as a result,” Givaudan spokesperson Stefanie Lauber said in an email to The Courier Journal .
▶ Read the latest: Company confirms two deaths after explosion
What makes Givaudan?
Givaudan, based in Switzerland, makes flavors for the food industry and fragrances for cosmetics and home care products.
Shelter on site lifted
According to a LENSAlert from Louisville Metro Emergency Services, a shelter-in-place order was lifted within a 1 mile radius of the explosion site at 4:39 p.m. Officials urged people to stay away from the area while the investigation is ongoing.
Officers from the Louisville Metro Police Fifth Division blocked the roadway near the scene, LMPD officials said on social media.
A WAVE-TV weather camera captured the incident, showing large amounts of smoke coming from the building Tuesday afternoon.
Students at Breckinridge-Franklin Elementary, located 0.5 miles from the blast site, and Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School, just over 2 miles from the blast site, sheltered in place Tuesday afternoon but were given permission to return shortly before 4 p.m. hours to leave. said district spokesperson Carolyn Callahan.
Students at the Kentucky School for the Blind were also sheltering in place, officials said in a Facebook post. All students are safe and responsible at school.
Cause of the Louisville Givaudan explosion is under investigation
De Givaudan said there was no danger to those near the factory from the blast.
“City leaders have stated that there is no ongoing threat to the people in the immediate area or the surrounding community,” said Lauber of Givaudan. “There have been reports of damage to some homes and buildings near the factory and we are in contact with first responders supporting those affected.”
The company is still in the “early stages of investigating the cause of the incident” and is working with first responders and support agencies.
“Our priority now is with our team members, the families of those we have lost and those injured in this accident,” Lauber said. “We are in contact with them and want to support them in the coming days and weeks.”
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2003 Givaudan explosion
Givaudan also was issued two citations by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District in 2023 and previously suffered an explosion at the same plant in April 2003.
Watch Wednesday’s press conference on the Louisville Givaudan explosion
City officials are planning a press conference at 10 a.m. to provide an update on the incident, which will be streamed live on CourierJournal.com.
Reporters Marina Johnson, Killian Baarlaer, Leo Bertucci, Lucas Aulbach and Connor Giffin contributed to this article.
Contact Cheryl V. Jackson at cjackson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Givaudan explosion Louisville: What happened, how many killed, injured
