Dead- Injured and Possible Missing in Atchison KS Grain Elevator Explosion

At least 1 person is dead- 2 others injured and an unknown number of "others unaccounted for" after a grain elevator exploded in a fireball early in the 7 o'clock hour Saturday night.


Atchison is on the Missouri River about 40 miles northwest of Downtown KC-MO.

KSHB-41 NBC ACTION NEWS reports that the explosion at the Bartlett Grain Company elevator at 320 Riverfront in Atchison was witnessed and felt by people up to 3 miles away.

One woman told KSHB that she saw a red glow- then a "mushroom cloud" followed by "a loud explosion.

Fire department mutual-aid was sent to Atchison from as far away as Johnson County KS..

A KC-KS fire department specialized fire team was also sent to the explosion scene.

As of 9 p.m. Saturday night- KSHB says an Atchison County sheriff's deputy has confirmed one fatality.


Two others with serious to critical injuries were flown by medical helicopters to the University of Kansas Medical Center in KC-KS..




In addition- KSHB reports that officials "believe everyone is out of the structure but not everyone has been accounted for."




An area within at least one-half mile of the elevator has been closed for fear of a 2nd explosion.


UPDATE:   As of 3 a.m. Sunday morning- Atchison officials were reporting "3 dead and 3 missing" in the grain elevator blast.

It wasn't known if the 2 other fatalities were the injured that had been flown to K.U. Med Center.


Also- fire units from the cities of Leavenworth and KC-KS had returned to their home stations as of 3:30 a.m..