Three men lost their lives in an explosion in Utica last night. LaSalle County Coroner Rich Ploch says it appears they set fire to a black powder substance on the river bank and it blew up. The explosion happened at 7:20pm.
The Kane County Bomb Squad, Utica fire fighters, and Conservation Police were some of those involved in checking things over to make sure the area was safe before they left the scene at 6 this morning. Illinois State Police are in charge of the investigation.
The explosion happened near the Illinois 178 bridge. The coroner says the incident has no connection to the recent demolition of the old bridge.
The names of the men who died haven’t been made public yet.