State officials in southwest Georgia reported that a woman lost her life, and two individuals were taken to the hospital suffering from injuries following a fire that occurred overnight at a Tyson Foods facility, as stated on Friday.
According to Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis, a tragic incident unfolded when a wall collapsed onto the cabin of a parked 18-wheeler truck at the plant, causing the demise of the truck driver’s wife who was resting inside. The victim was identified as Bajarma Batozhapov, aged 61 and from Las Vegas.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents a workforce of 1,600 employees at the plant, disclosed that the origin of the calamity was attributed to a boiler explosion. Tyson affirmed its collaboration with local authorities to discern the root cause of the blaze. The fire reportedly raged for an estimated duration of three hours.
Heavy equipment was required to remove debris from the truck and Willis said that the woman’s body wasn’t recovered until about 2 p.m. Friday. The woman’s husband wasn’t in the truck and wasn’t injured, he said. Willis declined to state a cause of death for the woman, and said an autopsy would be performed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on Monday.
“We extend our deepest condolences to their family and friends during this difficult time. Right now we are still gathering the facts, but ensuring the safety of our team members is our top priority, and we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire,” Tyson said in a statement.
A Tyson Foods logo is seen on a truck parked at a food warehouse. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)
Bryce Rawson, a spokesperson for the Georgia State Fire Marshal’s Office, confirmed the death and injuries but said he couldn’t share anything further Friday afternoon since the investigation was ongoing.
The plant in Camilla, which has a population of about 5,000 people, is the largest employer in Mitchell County. Tyson bought it in 2018 as part of its $2.16 billion purchase of Keystone Foods. The union said the plant primarily produces chicken nuggets and chicken fillets for restaurants.
“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy down here and Tyson is a major part of that,” Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens said.
Owens said Tyson is more than just an employer to the city.
“Not only are they important to the economy, they’re important to us as people,” Owens said. “We consider them family and we’re going to do everything we can to support them during this time.”
