Details emerge on deadly explosion at Tyson Foods plant in Georgia
CAMILLA, Ga. - An investigation continues after a woman was killed and two others were hospitalized when an explosion sent a Tyson Foods plant up in flames.
The Mitchell County Coroner’s Office has identified the victim as 61-year-old Bajarma Batozhatov from Las Vegas.
A wall fell on the cab of an 18-wheel truck parked outside the plant, Mitchell County Coroner Robby Willis said, killing Batozhatov, who was asleep inside. She was the wife of the truck’s driver.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which represents 1,600 workers at the plant, said a boiler had exploded overnight from Thursday into Friday. Tyson said it was working with local authorities to determine the cause of the fire, which burned for about three hours.
Heavy equipment was required to remove debris from the truck and Willis said the woman’s body wasn’t recovered until about 2 p.m. Friday. 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.
At the time of the explosion, her husband was inside the building.
“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 is our top priority, and we are conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire,” Tyson said in a statement.
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.
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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.
“I know this is a big industry for Mitchell County. It was kind of only one portion of the plant that sustained damage,” Willis said. “I know it’s a horrible tragedy for the victims that were burned and also to the victim that did die. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.”
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Camilla Mayor Kelvin Owens said Tyson is more than just a business to the south Georgia 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 them during this time.”
It’s not the first deadly incident at a Georgia food plant in recent years.
In January 2021, a liquid nitrogen leak killed six workers at a Gainesville chicken processing plant.
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