Columbian Chemicals Plant explosion hoax
| Time | 6.20 am CDT (UTC−05:00) |
|---|---|
| Date | September 11, 2014 |
| Location | Columbian Chemicals Co, 5205 LA 3115, Centerville, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 30°14′03″N 91°03′11″W / 30.234238°N 91.052937°WCoordinates: 30°14′03″N 91°03′11″W / 30.234238°N 91.052937°W |
| Footage | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBXwwKtRtrI |
The Columbian Chemicals plant explosion was a hoax claiming an explosion at a chemical plant in Centerville, St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. On September 11, 2014, reports of an alleged explosion were sent to local residents via text messages and spread through various social media. Several reports claimed that the militant group ISIS had taken responsibility for the attack. St. Mary Parish officials claimed that the reports of an explosion were a hoax. A spokesperson for the company told reporters that the reports of an explosion were a hoax:
"We have been informed by the community that a text message has been received by several individuals indicating a release of toxic gas from the Birla Carbon's Columbian Chemicals Plant near Centerville, Louisiana. The content as stated by the text message is not true. There has been no release of such toxic gas, explosion or any other incident in our facility. We are not aware of the origin of this text message. Law enforcement authorities have been contacted and are following up on this matter."
Columbian Chemicals Co was founded in 1922 and is based in Marietta, Georgia with plants and sales offices in Centerville, Louisiana. Columbian Chemicals Company, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd. As of 2014, Columbian Chemicals Company, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of SKI Carbon Black (India) Private Limited.
The company manufactures carbon black additives for rubber, plastic, liquid, and other industrial applications.
In text messages received by many local residents on September 11, 2014, there was a stated potential chemical threat not only to local neighborhoods, such as Franklin, Morgan City, Patterson and Baldwin, but also to New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Based on sources from the Columbian Chemicals Company and St. Mary Parish officials, multiple local news outlets called the text messages a hoax.
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