Emergency official: 1 dead, 1 injured in chemical explosion at Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Ala.

Official: 1 dead in Ala. Army arsenal explosion

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — One person was killed and one injured in a chemical explosion at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal on Wednesday, but details on the cause were not immediately available, an emergency management official said.

Madison County emergency operations coordinator Jim Pockrus said the morning explosion occurred at the sprawling military base at Huntsville that is home to the Army missile command.

Pockrus said it was a “chemical-type” explosion and arsenal officials were “not requesting any help” from city or county responders. An arsenal spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment.

Redstone Arsenal, which says it employs 32,000 people on 38,000 acres at Huntsville, is the center of Army missile and helicopter programs. The base also develops and maintains weapons systems for the Army.