A 46-year-old man was killed in a machine shop and four or five others were injured, Police Sgt. Bob Brietzke said. Three suffered minor injuries and were taken to Alegent Health Mercy Hospital for treatment.
Fire officials were trying to determine what caused the 9:30 a.m. explosion. Union Pacific spokesman John Bromley said it appeared that the explosion happened as work was being done a new fuel tank that had never been used.
``It was straight from the manufacturer,'' he said.
Bromley said something sparked as workers were using a grinder to shave excess metal from a passenger car. The force of the explosion threw the tank to one side of the room and damaged the side of a passenger car, he said.
The names of the dead man and those who were injured were being withheld pending notification of family, Bromley said.
He said the building is used to repair and restore rail cars.
