MONACA, Pa. — A fire and explosion at a zinc smelting plant in western Pennsylvania has killed two people, Beaver County emergency dispatchers said Thursday.

Experts say coke plants, like Pa. 1 that exploded, full of dangers but can operate safely

Experts: Coke plants full of dangers, can be safe

Investigators seek clues to cause of blast that injured 20 at US Steel plant near Pittsburgh

Explosion at Pa. coke plant under investigation

Explosion in coke oven at Pittsburgh-area plant injures 21, at least 3 critically

Explosion at Pittsburgh-area coke plant hurts 21

Explosion in coke oven at Pittsburgh-area plant injures 20, at least 3 critically

Explosion at Pittsburgh-area coke plant hurts 20

Explosion in coke oven at Pittsburgh-area plant injures 17, at least 3 critically

Explosion at Pittsburgh-area coke plant hurts 17

Explosion in coke oven at Pittsburgh-area steel plant injures 17, at least 3 critically

Explosion at Pittsburgh-area steel plant hurts 17

Explosion in coke oven at Pittsburgh-area steel plant injures 15, county official says

Explosion at Pittsburgh-area steel plant hurts 15

Report: Explosion at Pittsburgh-area steel plant injures workers; blast in 2009 killed 1

Report: Pa. steel plant explosion injures workers

Carnegie Heroes Fund awards 23 people medals, money for courageous acts that saved others

Carnegie Heroes Fund honors 23 with medals, money

Alcoa idles Spanish aluminum smelter after floods casue damage

Floods force Alcoa to idle Spanish smelter

Methane suspected in W.Va. gas well blast; company says it will let gas burn off over 2-3 days

Fire from W.Va. gas well blast will burn 2-3 days

Methane pocket suspected in W.Va. gas well blast that injured 7; investigation to start soon

7 burned in W.Va. gas well blast likely to survive

W.Va. natural gas well explodes, burns 7; inspector, company point to pocket of methane

W.Va. gas well blast injures 7; flames now 40 feet

W.Va. natural gas well explodes, injuring 7 workers; methane pocket investigated as cause

W.Va. gas well explosion send flames 70 feet high

DEP: Methane caused well-drilling blast that burned 7 workers in W.Va.; flames 70-80 feet tall

Fire 70-80 feet high after W.Va. gas well blast

Obama calls for end to dependence on fossil fuels, roll back tax breaks for oil companies

US President Barack Obama welcomes Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak

Obama contends GOP ’sat on the sidelines’ while he tried to fix the economy

Autopsy shows Pittsburgh man who waited 30 hours for help during snow storm died naturally

Autopsy: Snowbound Pittsburgh man died naturally

Roethlisberger must try to fix image with team that can’t cut him, city that can’t stand him

more images

Fire at Pa. housing authority apartment complex for elderly, disabled kills 1, hurts several

Pa. housing authority fire kills 1, hurts several

Pittsburgh medic fired following death of man who waited 30 hours for help during snowstorm

Pittsburgh medic fired after man’s snowstorm death

Emergency worker being fired, 3 suspended in death of Pa. man who waited 30 hours for help

4 EMS workers being punished in Pa. storm death

Medics to be disciplined in death of Pittsburgh man who waited 30 hours for help during storm

2 medics to be disciplined in Pa. snowstorm death

Not your garden-variety winter: Storms’ heavy toll translates to boon for landscapers

Landscapers see green as weary East greets spring

2 freight trains crash near Pittsburgh; 1 dead, some diesel fuel leaked into creek

Crash of 2 freight trains kills 1 near Pittsburgh

Engineer missing, diesel fuel leaking after train derailment outside Pittsburgh

Fuel leaking, engineer missing in Pa. train crash

Pa., NJ and parts of Ohio prep for possible flooding due to heavy rain, melting snowpack

Pa., NJ, Ohio residents prep for possible flooding

Pa. 911 operator says ‘Help is on the way,’ but man dies waiting for ambulance during storm

Pa. man dies during storm when 911 calls unheeded

Pittsburgh sets record for snowiest month on record as new storm batters Northeast

Pittsburgh sets record for snowiest month ever

Coroner as celebrity: After 50 years of death, Dr. Cyril Wecht looks back on life

Death be proud: Cyril Wecht, the man in the morgue

Pa. ice rink’s roof partially collapses during youth hockey tournament, but no one injured

Pa. ice rink’s roof collapses, but no one injured

Federal workers, kids get day off as Mid-Atlantic cleans up from massive snow; more on the way

Government shut down as DC, region dig out of snow

Federal government, business, schools shuttered as Mid-Atlantic digs out from massive snowfall

Mid-Atlantic digs out of snow; government shut

‘Historic’ snow strands countless passengers in Mid-Atlantic trying to get back to normal

more images