CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, US — ADM expects the majority of soybean protein production to resume at its plant in Decatur, Illinois, in the coming weeks as the investigation continues into the cause of the explosion that injured eight employees on Sunday, Sept. 10.

“As we continue the process to assess the damage to our processing complex in Decatur and begin the process to restore operations, our priority remains offering to support our four injured colleagues who remain in the hospital as well as their families,” ADM said Tuesday. “One colleague has been released. We are also providing counseling resources to colleagues on site.”

The explosion occurred at 7:11 p.m. Sunday at the East Plant of the company’s industrial complex in Decatur, which produces soybean oil and white flake for soybean protein production. ADM immediately contacted the Decatur Fire Department, and the main fire was extinguished overnight. 

Operations were suspended at the East Plant and adjacent corn processing plant. ADM expects the corn plant to resume normal operations in the coming days.

Raw material production capabilities at the East Plant were impacted by the explosion. No damage occurred in the protein production area of the plant, and ADM said it will be able to source raw materials from alternative facilities. 

“We expect to restart the majority of protein production at the facility in the coming weeks,” ADM said. “We will also leverage our vast transportation and origination network to meet customer needs until we can resume full operations at the plant.”

This is the third incident this year reported at the Decatur complex, which houses a soybean crushing plant and one of the largest corn wet mills in the world for Chicago, Illinois, US-based ADM. 

In April, three employees were injured in an explosion at one of the grain elevators at the soybean processing facility at ADM’s West Plant.

Last month, two Decatur firefighters were hurt while battling a third-alarm fire in the feed house of the company’s corn processing plant.