06/18/2009

Associated Press

A federal chemical safety board will update the public on its investigation into a an explosion at a North Carolina Slim Jim processing plant that killed three people.

But officials with the U.S. Chemical Safety Board would not provide details on what they'll discuss at a news conference Thursday afternoon in Raleigh. Agency Chairman John Bresland and Investigations Supervisor Donald Holmstron will speak.

The June 9 explosion in Garner killed three employees working for the ConAgra Foods plant in Garner. Thirty-eight other employees and three firefighters were injured. Four of those employees suffered critical burns.

Authorities say a natural gas leak caused the explosion. Two injured workers have since sued a contracting firm over the leak.