1 dead, 4 injured in explosion at steel mill in northwest Indiana

The explosion at about 7 p.m. at the Beta Steel, 6500 S. Boundary Road., was the second at the Portage facility since November, when eight workers were injured.

Water mixing with molten slag in one of the mill's furnaces caused the explosion, Portage Mayor Olga Velazquez said. Four workers were taken to nearby hospitals, she said.

The injuries, steam burns and blunt force trauma, were not life-threatening, said Portage Fire Chief Bill Lundy.

The explosion occurred in the same furnace area where the November explosion occurred, Velazquez said.

The severity of the victim's burns hampered identification, though officials from the Porter County coroner's office were on the scene.

The mill remained opened though the affected area was shut down, the mayor said.