This story was updated at 10:35 p.m. Monday after the second death was confirmed.

By Marc Levy, Gene Puskar, Michael Casey and Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press

CLAIRTON, Pa. — An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant near Pittsburgh left two dead and sent at least 10 to hospitals Monday and heavily damaged the sprawling facility, officials said.

One worker was pulled from the wreckage hours after the explosion sent black smoke spiraling into the midday sky in the Mon Valley, a region of the state synonymous with steel for more than a century. Allegheny County Emergency Services said a fire at the plant started around 10:51 a.m. Authorities later said a second person had died.

The explosion, followed by several smaller blasts, could be felt in the nearby community and prompted county off

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