LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The family of a worker who tragically died in an explosion at a Louisville manufacturing facility has expressed their anguish after being initially told that all employees were unaccounted for. They had pleaded with officials to search the damaged site for his remains. The worker, Kevens Dawson Jr., was ultimately discovered within the ruins of the Givaudan Color Sense plant, following persistent urging from his family, according to his girlfriend, Malaika Watson. Rescuers resumed their efforts late that night to locate him.
The explosion on the afternoon of November 12 at the facility, which specializes in producing food colorings, had a devastating impact on the surrounding area, claiming the lives of two workers and injuring eleven others. The blast shook the vicinity so forcefully that numerous homes had broken windows, and the concussive force knocked items off walls and caused drywall to crack in several residences.
Dawson’s relatives have engaged lawyers who are committed to determining the underlying factors that led to the explosion and the reason for Dawson’s prolonged unaccounted state. Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney representing the family, stated during a press conference that they will thoroughly investigate the situation to prevent other families from experiencing the grief that the Dawson family is enduring.
Dawson had been employed at the plant for just over a year, and this week he would have celebrated his 50th birthday. He is survived by three adult children. In a heartbreaking account, Watson described the distressing ordeal of trying to locate Dawson and being sent to three separate hospitals in search of him. Although she learned that two individuals were critically injured, neither was her boyfriend. After arriving back at the plant site around 7 p.m., Watson was stopped by law enforcement, who denied her entry.
Desperately wanting to be close to her boyfriend, she managed to slip through a gap in the barrier enclosing the plant and nearly reached the devastated structure before being restrained. Watson recounted her long wait at the scene and expressed her heartbreak when authorities only informed her at 11:30 p.m. that they had discovered another victim, too late to find Dawson alive.
Watson reflected on her partner, a former Army serviceman, describing him as the “strongest man I’ve ever met.” She articulated his dedication to hard work and his commitment to providing for his family during her emotional statement.
Louisville officials initially stated that the plant’s management indicated all staff were accounted for, a statement later proven inaccurate, prompting firefighters to return to the unsafe site. Sadly, when Dawson was found, he was confirmed dead at the scene by fire officials.
While no legal action has been filed yet, Crump and his team are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the explosion. Tragically, this is not the first incident at the plant; a previous explosion in 2003 resulted in a worker’s death. The plant’s president acknowledged the company’s responsibility for the incident and assured that compensation would be offered to the residents affected by the explosion.
As the investigation continues, no definitive cause for the explosion has been determined. A specialized response team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been conducting a thorough investigation and, as of Monday, their preliminary findings suggested it was an industrial accident. They confirmed that no hazardous materials were involved and excluded any malicious intent from individuals present at the time of the explosion.
To address community concerns, company officials have arranged an information session scheduled at a local church for the evening, hoping to provide clarity and support to those impacted by this tragic event.