NEWBURYPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - Family members and friends are mourning after one person was killed and several others were injured when a massive explosion tore through a chemical plant in Newburyport early Thursday morning.
“It’s horrible, it’s terrible,” said the victim’s best friend Billy Carter. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody.”
Carter said his friend of nearly 50 years, Jack O’Keefe, was the person who died in Thursday’s blast. Carter and O’Keefe, he said, are the godfathers to each other’s children.
“We did everything together,” Carter said.
Firefighters from multiple communities responded to what grew to be a seven-alarm incident Thursday, after multiple reports of an explosion just before 1 a.m.
Crews said an industrial-sized vat from inside the building was launched 30 feet because of the explosion and was found in the parking lot as crews arrived.
Officials said four injured workers were taken to the hospital, where they were treated and released. One remained missing.
In an update, officials said they located the missing worker’s body around 5:30 p.m.
A spokesperson said around 9:15 p.m. that the worker’s body had been extricated from the plant.
“Life’s too short,” said Kaelin Carter — O’Keefe’s goddaughter.
“I love you Jack,” Billy Cater said. “I love you man. You were supposed to live longer than me.”
Surveillance video from nearby cameras captured the explosion, showing a massive, bright fireball that launched flames and debris high into the air. SKY7-HD later flew over the scene, revealing a torn apart complex with pieces of roof materiel, pipes and metal scraps piled on one another.
PCI Synthesis, which serves as the parent company for the Seqens chemical plant, said in a statement: “The authorities arrived quickly on site and we are grateful for their support and quick work… All our attention is focused on the situation of our employees.”
This was not the first incident at this plant in Newburyport. The same location was also the site of two other recent incidents, including an explosion in 2020 and a chemical fire in 2021.
State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said this week’s explosion seemed much more structurally significant.
“I would term it as more significant than previous incidents here,” Ostroskey said. “There’s a fairly large debris field. We have a lot of work to do yet.”
“There’s extensive, significant damage to the building,” he continued.
Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon said PCI has a history of satisfying federal regulators after past incidents. This time, officials said the situation could be different.
“When you look at their track record, it’s definitely something that we have to take a close look at,” Reardon said.
“I’m more concerned with having a proper investigation taking place and deciding if this company should continue to work in our industrial park,” he continued. “[T]hey do important work, but it’s incredibly dangerous work as well.”
Both OSHA and technical rescue teams responded to the scene Thursday as crews tested for hazardous materials, finding no air quality concerns.
By Friday, construction cranes and excavators were assisting crews as cleanup efforts got underway. Officials said the heavy equipment was brought in to assist with securing what was left of the facility and allow for more access as teams picked up debris.
The cause of the explosion remained under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)