Heavy equipment
The location of the explosion was quickly established as a building used to store refined sugar prior to packaging it and two of three tall, thick reinforced concrete storage silos adjacent to it, as pictured. According to Imperial Sugar CEO John Sheptor, the accumulated sugar dust likely acted like gunpowder. Sheptor, who was in the plant at the time of the explosion, survived only because he was protected by a firewall. Heavy equipment had to be used to shore up the partially collapsed structure before firefighters could enter it to search for victims. Within 24 hours, the explosive substance was identified as sugar dust.