A person was killed and multiple others were injured after an explosion at a coke plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, police said.

Two people remain missing after the explosion at about 11am local time at the Clairton Coke Works plant, which is owned by US Steel, a subsidiary of Nippon Steel.

Coke is produced by heating coal at high temperatures and the process creates a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. It is used in blast furnaces as part of the process of making steel.

An official told CNN that some people were trapped under the rubble and emergency services were trying to rescue them.

It is still uncertain what caused the explosion.

Speaking from the site of the blast, the mayor of Clairton, Rich Lattanzi, said: "I don't know if people are trapped.

"Ther

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