By Alabama Public Radio
Lanett, AL – An explosion at an East Alabama plant Thursday night sent at least four employees to the hospital. One worker suffered extensive burns to the face and hands. Lanett Police say the blast happened in a large electrical panel at the plant that's located near Chambers County off Interstate 85. Police say the workers were apparently performing some electrical work on the panel when it exploded around 9 p.m. The blast forced power company crews to shut down a large electrical grid, leaving hundreds of area residents in the dark for a few hours. The plant manufactures plastic buckets and containers used in the food service industry. The identities and medical conditions of the injured workers were not immediately known.