Flags across Pennsylvania are flying at half staff in honor of the seven people killed in an explosion at a factory in Berks County. Officials say the investigation into what caused the blast will take some time. NBC10’s Deanna Durante has the details.
Officials in Berks County have released the identities of two of the seven people who died in an explosion that occurred at a chocolate factory in West Reading on Friday.
On Monday, the Berks County Coroner's Office said Amy Sandoe, 49, of Ephrata and Domingo Cruz, 60, of Reading, died in the blast.
Loved ones described Cruz as a man who was full of energy, happiness and love for himself, his family and his passions.
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"He was never mad. He was never trying to hurt other people," Luciano Sanchez, a family friend, told NBC10. "He was always positive. He was always smiling."
Cruz's sister told NBC10 he loved to work, had been with the factory for five years and provided for his family who moved to America from the Dominican Republic.
Sanchez told NBC10 when they heard about the explosion, they had hoped Cruz was one of the survivors that had been taken to the hospital.
"He had a tattoo on his left arm," Sanchez said. "That's basically how they knew right away when they found him. When they saw the tattoo."
While Cruz was happy at his job, loved ones say he was the happiest at his home playing the drums.
"He was an example to people of how to treat other human beings," Sanchez said.
The remaining victims have not yet been identified.
The coroner's office said that additional recovery efforts at the site are ongoing "in order to ensure no additional
victims remain."
"The Coroner’s Office has recovered the remains of seven individuals in total. Additional forensic medical examinations are required to positively identify the five remaining victims," the office said in a statement.
The office also said that it is conducting death investigations to determine the cause and manner of death of each of the victims.
Autopsies, the office said, are expected to be completed by the end of week.
Officials have also said that the identities of the remaining victims will not be released until there is confirmation that all family members have been contacted.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro ordered commonwealth flags flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.
“West Reading, we stand with you — and we’ll continue to provide all of the support your community needs,” Shapiro said in a Twitter post Monday, referring to the borough about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia where the R.M. Palmer Co. plant blast occurred at about 5 p.m. Friday.
West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag, in a statement Sunday night, called it “a devastating loss” but said “we are truly grateful to bring closure to the families involved in the upcoming days.”
A woman who survived the explosion was pulled from the rubble in the early hours of Saturday morning. The extent of her injuries have not yet been detailed by officials.
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During a press conference late Monday afternoon, Reading Hospital CEO and President Charles Barbera said nine of the ten survivors have been released from the hospital.
State and local fire investigators are continuing to examine the scene to try to determine the cause of the blast.
Three buildings that were damaged in the explosion -- 5 South 2nd Avenue, 77 South 2nd Avenue and 200 Penn Avenue -- have been condemned due to safety concerns. Businesses in those three buildings will continue to operate at separate locations.
Road closures at 2nd Avenue from Franklin Street to Penn Avenue and at Cherry Street from 2nd Avenue to the railroad bridge, will also remain in effect due to safety concerns.
