Detroit firefighters were called to the scene Wednesday of an explosion at the General Motors assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich., that injured three workers.
The Detroit Fire Department confirmed that a pump led to the explosion at the Hamtramck plant, causing one employee to be sent to the hospital with minor burns and others with minor injuries.
“The call came in about 10:03 (a.m. ET) reporting an explosion in the plant," said David Fornell, deputy fire commissioner. “Our first responding units found that there was, what they call a pressure pump, had exploded. It was a relatively minor explosion. One person suffered minor burns to the face and was transported to Detroit Receiving. The incident was down-graded almost immediately. So there was no fire."
Fornell said others were injured, but were treated on the scene by plant personnel.
GM said three workers who are involved in maintenance work at the plant were injured during an incident that occurred just before 10 a.m.
"The injuries are not believed to be life threatening," the company said in a statement.
GM spokesman Tom Wickham said the plant is operating normally and there was no need to evacuate employees. Wickham also said the company does not expect there to be any impact on production.
GM currently employs about 1,800 workers at its Detroit-Hamtramck Plant where it makes the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Volt and the Chevrolet Impala.
It is GM’s only plant in Detroit with a footprint that spans into two cities — Detroit and Hamtramck. The 4.1-million-square-foot plant opened in 1985.
Contributing: Perry A. Farrell and Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press. Follow the Detroit Free Press on Twitter: @freep
