3 Die in Explosion at Auto Parts Plant

Search dogs located the bodies of two women under mounds of debris in an auto parts factory in Radford, Va., where an explosion also killed a co-worker. The blast at New River Castings on Sunday night threw clouds of black soot over a wide area and left the building smoldering the next day. “There’s mass destruction, a hole the size of a football field in the center of the plant,” Fire Chief Lee Simpkins said. He estimated damage at $30 million. The cause of the explosion was under investigation. About 100 workers were in the plant at the time. At least six of them were hospitalized, two in serious condition. Others were treated for smoke inhalation and cuts and bruises.