Ohio Grain Bin Blast Injures 6, Closes Facility

Owners say a Coshocton grain company will be closed for weeks after a grain bin explosion destroyed silos and injured six people. The blast Wednesday afternoon at Coshocton Grain, about 60 miles northeast of Columbus, likely was caused by a spark amid the grain dust as rail cars were being filled with corn, according to owner Larry Endsley. Officials said one employee was taken by helicopter to a Columbus hospital, while five others were treated locally. One person refused treatment. None of the injuries was believed to be life threatening. Debris was thrown as far as 300 feet. Three sets of concrete silos have structural damage and will need to be demolished. Coshocton Grain handles about 10 million bushels of grain a year at the 13-acre location.