BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. — There was thunderous chaos Thursday morning when something inside a garbage truck exploded while a sanitation crew was making its rounds in Blytheville, Arkansas.
Firefighters rushed to the scene on Park Lane around 9:00 a.m. There were no flames or smoke, but a worker was lying on the ground. Investigators quickly determined a Co2 canister exploded. More specifically, it was a canister used to make homemade soda.
“It shook the whole truck,” Captain Daniel Holifield said. “It was pretty strong.”
As the can was compacted, pressurized gas exploded out of the tank.
Fire captain Daniel Holifield said someone threw away the canister while it was still full.
“When the trash truck compacted it, it caused an explosion which rattled the truck and threw the sanitation worker to the ground,” he said.
The sanitation worker was checked at an area hospital, but thankfully, city officials said he was not hurt.
According to experts, you should not throw canisters like that in the trash. Instead, you should recycle them after emptying the cans by pressing the trigger at the top to release the gas. In many cases, you can also exchange empty cans with the manufacturer.
“Anytime you have any cylinders or compressed containers, just be aware when you throw those in the trash and the trucks crush those that they can become projectiles,” Captain Holifield said. “Just be aware of how to properly dispose of those to get rid of them. Luckily, the shrapnel didn’t hit anybody.”
City officials say the garbage truck was not damaged.
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