05/26/16   Esterline Defense Technologies Temporarily Closed Following Explosion

According to Michelle DeGrand, a spokesman for Esterline Defense Technologies located in Highland Industrial park in East Camden, the company will be closed until investigators are sure conditions are safe for employees.

A man and woman were injured in a blast at the plant on Monday night and were taken to Ouachita County Medical Center in Camden and later transferred to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock to be treated at the burn center.

The female employee, identified as Wendy Hines suffered burns to her hands, face, neck and chest. She also suffered a fracture in her elbow, a leg laceration caused by shrapnel and her hair singed. According to a hospital spokesman, Hines was listed in fair condition Tuesday and was sitting up talking to relatives. The name of the man injured has not been released but he was in stable condition and none of his injuries were life threatening.

According to an Arkansas-Democrat report, this was not the first explosion at the facility. An explosion in a small outbuilding in June of 2009 sent six workers to the hospital with minor injuries.

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