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Three people remained in critical condition late Friday after a container rupture at a Louisiana nitrogen plant killed one person and injured several others, police said.

CF Industries, one of the world's largest nitrogen fertilizer suppliers, confirmed that the accident occurred in a section of their Donaldsonville, La. plant that had been shut down for maintenance activity. The incident occurred at 6 p.m. local time on Friday, the company said.

According to a press release from the Illinois-based company, the accident was caused by the rupture of a container while workers were off-loading nitrogen from a truck at the plant located about halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.There was no fire or explosion after the incident, according to the company's statement.

Louisiana State Police said that the scene was secure and there was no outside impact.

The bursting of the overpressurized nitrogen container was "like a balloon popping," Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley said.

According to federal records, CF Industries acquired $150,000 in fines for safety and health violations after an explosion and fire in 2000 that killed three people at the Donaldsville plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration records cited a dozen violations that it said posed "substantial probability" of serious injury or death.

The container rupture was initially reported as an explosion.

"There was no explosion, no fire," said plant manager Lou Frey.

As of Friday night, NBC33 reported that five victims remained in the hospital, and that some of the trauma victims would be transported to Baton Rouge hospitals for further treatment.

"Our focus is on our number one priority – the health and safety of our employees and the community.  We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our employees," said Frey. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected and their families."

Friday’s incident occurred just one day after an explosion and fire at Geismar’s Williams Olefins Chemical plant, just 30 miles north of Donaldsonville, that killed two people and left more than 70 others injured.

"The irony of back-to-back incidents has not escaped us," Wiley said. "We express our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and injured."

Related:

• One person killed in second plant incident in two days in Louisiana parish
• Full coverage from local NBC News affiliate WDSU
• One dead, scores injured in Louisiana chemical plant explosion

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The CF Industries plant in Donaldsonville, La., is just 30 miles south of Geismar, where a chemical plant explosion killed two people Thursday, June 13.

A container ruptured at a Louisiana nitrogen plant Friday night, killing one person and injuring at least seven others, the company said — just a day after an explosion at a chemical plant killed two people in the same parish.

Louisiana State Police told NBC News that three of the injured were in critical condition.

The plant's owner, CF Industries of Deerfield, Ill., said the incident occurred about 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) at its facility in Donaldsonville, roughly halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. "There was no fire or chemical release nor is there any threat or hazard posed to the community," it said.

Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley and plant manager Lou Frey said at a news conference Friday night that the rupture — which initially was reported as an explosion — was caused by workers who overpressurized a nitrogen vessel they were filling from a truck at CF Industries in Donaldsonville.

"There was no explosion, no fire," Frey said.

Wiley said it was "like a balloon popping."

Federal records show that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined CF Industries, one of the world's biggest nitrogen fertilizer producers, about $150,000 for safety and health violations after a fire and explosion killed three people at the Donaldsonville plant in 2000. It cited 12 violations posing "substantial probability" of serious injury or death. 

The blast Friday occurred just a day after an explosion and fire at the Williams Olefins chemical plant in Geismar, just 30 miles north of Donaldsonville, killed two people and injured more than 70 others. State Police confirmed the second death Friday.

"The irony of back-to-back incidents has not escaped us," Wiley, said. "We express our sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and injured."

Azhar Fateh of NBC News contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Fri Jun 14, 2013 10:06 PM EDT

Tony Gutierrez / AP

An American flag planted by the curb in front of this home waves in the breeze as a tractor demolishes a home in West, Texas, on Friday, May 31, 2013.

The small town of West, Texas, is making plans to move forward after being denied additional funds from The Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild after a deadly fertilizer plant explosion last April.

Governor Rick Perry received a letter from FEMA on June 10^th, rejecting his request to declare a major disaster declaration in the town of West, Texas. 

The letter stated bluntly: “It has been determined that the remaining cost for permanent work is within the capabilities of the state and affected local governments. Accordingly, we have determined that a major disaster declaration is not necessary.”

As a result of the denial, Texas officials said West will be forced to absorb an estimated $57 million in public damages.

“I’d just like a little definition on what they consider a disaster,” said West Mayor Tommy Muska, a volunteer firefighter himself who helped battle the explosion and inferno that killed 15 and injured 160. “If they would see what I see, and if they saw what I saw and still see, I don’t understand how this is a disaster that doesn’t merit a declaration.”

The disappointed mayor must now face the daunting question of what to do next.  But Muska said that he will look into any and every avenue for help — including calling on soldiers at the Army base in Ft. Worth to come start rebuilding infrastructure, to reaching out to the National Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers for help.

“We need help, and we need it now so people don’t move away from our small town,” said Muska who visited with Gov. Perry to discuss plans on how to move forward.

The mayor said he will work with the governor’s office to prepare a letter of appeal to be sent to President Barack Obama. The letter will include additional information about the damage in West, with hopes that it will be enough to persuade FEMA to reconsider.

But FEMA officials countered that the agency already took into consideration a number of factors when assessing the request and that, “personnel at the Joint Field Office in West, TX and in the field are actively working with state and local officials to prepare project worksheets for reimbursement of costs related to debris removal and emergency protective measures.”

The agency said it has also helped some individuals and small businesses affected collect over $7 million in federal disaster aid.

Still, Josh Havens, a spokesman for Gov. Perry, said, “FEMA’s decision to deny funds was weird because in this case, a little town sustained enough loss to qualify for assistance on both local and state levels with one single localized event.”

Tony Gutierrez / AP

This April 18, 2013 aerial photo shows a destroyed fertilizer plant, top, following an explosion in West, Texas.

This is not the first time, however, that FEMA has turned down a request for assistance after a non-natural disaster emergency.

In 2010, the town of San Bruno, in Northern California, was denied millions of dollars in public funding after a major Pacific Gas and Electric pipeline explosion.

“At the time I was disappointed,” said San Bruno Mayor, Jim Ruane. “On a national basis, we weren’t recognized. No one said, ‘You people have been through this horrific explosion and the country is watching you and wanting you to rebuild and we want to help you though this.’”

Despite being denied funds from FEMA, PG&E as well as other entities, came forward to claim responsibility for the explosion in San Bruno, and established a $50 million trust fund for the city to help with rebuilding. The city also received $70 million to be used to establish a nonprofit from PG&E for the city as a whole.

Texas public officials would not comment on any litigation against Adair Grain, Inc., owner of the West plant, but two lawsuits have reportedly already been filed by a group of individuals and small businesses.

San Bruno’s Mayor Ruane said the best piece of advice he could offer the town of West is to, “get the city together and say that we as elected officials are there to hold their hand if they need it.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied additional aid to the Texas town devastated by a massive fertilizer plant explosion in April that leveled homes and could be felt as far as 80 miles away, Gov. Rick Perry's office confirmed to NBC News Tuesday

Perry's office said it received a letter from FEMA administrator Craig Fugate saying that the devastated town would not receive funds from the agency.

FEMA said in the letter that the damage from the explosion "is not of the severity and magnitude that warrants a major disaster declaration," according to the Associated Press.

The explosion in West, Texas on the evening of April 17 killed 15 people and injured hundreds more. Twelve of the dead were first responders who were battling a blaze at the West Fertilizer Co. plant on the outskirts of town before it exploded.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, FEMA spokesman Dan Watson said the agency had provided over $7 million in federal funds directly to families affected by the disaster, as well as emergency housing assistance and funds to help the state remove debris.

The town of about 2,800 people had asked for a total of about $57 million for work that included road repairs and included $40 million to rebuild a school flattened in the explosion, the AP reported.

“We don’t have the money to go out and borrow the money. We don’t have the means to pay that note back,” West Mayor Tommy Muska told the AP. “There’s got to be some public assistance.”

President Barack Obama and Texas Governor Rick Perry were in communication in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, and Perry said the president called from Air Force One to offer his support. The White House also indicated that federal agencies would support the town’s recovery in a statement.

“My administration, through FEMA and other agencies, is in close contact with our state and local partners on the ground to make sure there are no unmet needs as search and rescue operations continue,” the president said in an April press release. “West is a town that many Texans hold near and dear to their hearts, and as residents continue to respond to this tragedy, they will have the support of the American people.”

Insured losses from the blast could total more than $100 million, the Insurance Council of Texas has estimated.

Related:

• With homes shattered, students return to school in West, Texas
• 'Chaotic' scene at nursing home devastated by Texas fertilizer blast
• West, Texas, man charged with destructive device to plead not guilty

Lm Otero / LM Otero/AP

An investigator pauses while sifting through the debris of the destroyed fertilizer plant in West, Texas, Thursday, May 2, 2013.

DALLAS — Investigators will announce on Thursday the results of a probe into what caused last month's fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, that killed 14 people and obliterated sections of the small town, a state agency said on Tuesday.

The State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives will release the findings of their joint investigation at a news conference, according to a news release from the fire marshal's office.

Texas officials on Friday announced a criminal investigation into the blast.

Investigators confirmed a week ago that ammonium nitrate stored at the West Fertilizer Co detonated in the April 17 explosion. The cause of the fire and subsequent blast at the facility, which also injured around 200 people, is expected to be announced by officials on Thursday.

More than 70 investigators have developed more than 200 leads, from which more than 400 interviews have been conducted, investigators said last week.

Investigators believe the fire started somewhere in the 12,000-square-foot fertilizer and seed building.

Looking into the cause of the initial fire, they have eliminated the weather, natural causes, anhydrous ammonia, a railcar containing ammonium nitrate, and a fire within the ammonium nitrate bin.

Additionally, they said water used during fire-fighting activities did not contribute to the cause of the explosion as some had speculated.

Bryce Reed, a Texas paramedic who was among the first responders at the explosion site, was arrested last week for possession of pipe bomb components. State officials have said no evidence linked Reed's arrest to the plant disaster.

Reed is expected to plead not guilty in federal court on Wednesday, his lawyer said.

A volunteer paramedic in the Texas town rocked by a massive fertilizer plant explosion in April will plead not guilty to charges that he possessed an explosive device, his lawyer said Saturday.

AP

This photo provided by the McLennan County Sheriff's office shows Bryce Reed in a booking photo on Friday, May 10, 2013.

Bryce Reed, 31, is due to appear in court on Wednesday. He was arrested after a friend told a local sheriff that Reed possessed explosives, authorities said.  Reed had gathered pieces for a pipe bomb, according to court documents, but had not assembled the parts into a working explosive.

Reed had “no involvement whatsoever in the explosion at the West, Texas, fertilizer plant,” the man’s attorney said in the statement. “Mr. Reed was one of the first responders and lost friends, family, and neighbors in that disaster. Mr. Reed is heartbroken for the friends he lost and remains resolute in his desire to assist in the rebuilding of his community.”

The massive fertilizer plant blast on April 17 killed 14 people and injured 200 more, damaging dozens of local businesses and flattening homes closest to the plant. One official said that no evidence of a bomb has been found in connection with the blast.

Authorities announced Friday they had launched a criminal investigation into the blast, but the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement it would “not speculate whether the possession of the unregistered destructive device has any connection to the West fertilizer plant explosion.”

Reed took on a significant profile in the aftermath of the disaster in the small town, giving interviews and delivering the eulogy for victim Cyrus Reed. “I will avenge this. This will get right. I don’t care what it takes. I will get square,” Reed said in an interview at the time.

The man’s attorney denied allegations that Reed possessed a destructive device and said Reed looked forward to his day in court.

“We ask that Mr. Reed’s family, friends and community not rush to judgment,” the attorney said in the statement. “Mr. Reed has been through significant hardship in the wake of the disaster in West and he has been responded and served his community with honor and strength.”

NBC News' Pete Williams and Tracy Connor contributed to this report.

Related:

• Texas blast rescuer arrested, criminal probe opened
• Ammonium nitrate caused Texas blast, officials say
• Texas fertilizer plant

L.M. Otero/Pool via AP

Investigators look through the debris of the destroyed fertilizer plant in West, Texas, on May 2.

A volunteer paramedic in West, Texas, has been arrested for possession of an explosive device, but federal law enforcement officials said it’s too soon to say if there’s a connection to the explosion at a fertilizer plant there last month.

Bryce Reed, 31, who had a high profile in the days after the April 17 disaster that is now the subject of a criminal probe, was arrested after a friend discovered he has explosives and notified the local sheriff, authorities said.

The case was transferred to federal court, where Reed appeared Friday.

According to court documents, Reed had gathered components for a pipe bomb. The documents say investigators found that he had a pipe, prepared to be made into a pipe bomb, along with a fuse and explosive powders. The documents say the materials had not been assembled into a working bomb. 

"At this time, authorities will not speculate whether the possession of the unregistered destructive device has any connection to the West fertilizer plant explosion,"  the U.S. attorney's office said in a statement.

After the explosion three weeks ago, Reed gave interviews about the response and also eulogized a victim, Cyrus Reed, at a public memorial. The cause of the explosion  -- which killed 14, injured 200 and damaged or destroyed scores of homes and businesses – has not been determined.

One official said investigators have not found any evidence of a bomb. Separately, Texas officials announced Friday that they have joined forces with the McLennan County Sheriff to launch a criminal investigation into the blast.

"This disaster has severely impacted the community of West, and we want to ensure that no stone goes unturned and that all the facts related to this incident are uncovered," Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said in a statement.

Eric Gay / AP

Honor guards stand in front of caskets prior to a memorial service for first responders who died in last week's fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, on Thursday, in Waco, Texas.

President Obama, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and firefighters from across the country were among those who paid tribute at a packed memorial service to the victims of a Texas fertilizer plant blast that killed 14 people on April 17, many of whom were first responders. 

The deadly plant explosion decimated part of the small Texas city of West, with a population of only about 2,800. More than 200 people were injured in the blast; 12 who died were volunteer firefighters.

"These are volunteers: Ordinary individuals blessed with extraordinary courage," Gov. Perry said at Thursday's service. "They knew full well that another explosion was a possibility."

Caskets draped in large American flags were lined up in the front of the memorial, which was being held at Baylor University in Waco, located about 20 miles from West. The memorial was comprised of speeches from officials, as well as videos of victims' families and friends, who shared memories of their loved ones.

Obama told the crowd that West was an exemplary place.

"We need people who so love their neighbors as themselves that they’re willing to lay down their lives down for them," he said. "America needs towns like West." 

In the videotaped eulogies, relatives shared how those who died were passionate about protecting the people of West.

"Words cannot express how much I'm going to miss my husband. He was my everything," said Kelly Pustejovsky, wife of Joey Pustejovsky, a member of the West volunteer fire department who was killed, in a video broadcast during the service.

Six of Pustejovsky's other relatives spoke in the video too, including his grandmother, who laughed through her tears about her grandson's love of fried chicken, and said she knew he was in heaven now.

Obama said, "I cannot match the power of the voices you just heard on that video, And no words adequately describe the courage that was displayed on that deadly night ...What I can do is offer the love and support and prayers of the nation."

He also noted that last week was filled with overwhelmingly horrific news events, between the Boston bombings and the deadly blast in Texas.

"While the eyes of the world may have been fixed far away, our hearts were also here," he said.

The service was hosted by the National Firefighters Foundation. Chief Ronald Siarnicki, executive director of the foundation, told mourners, "This disaster happened last week, but we know the ground is still shaking, and will be for a long time."

"It could not break this community," Siarnicki said. "Remember this: Come tomorrow or the next day or anywhere from here on out, you are not alone, because the fire service will be here for you."

Obama flew to the somber event after attending the dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library in Dallas on Thursday morning. 

Texas Sen. John Cornyn and first lady Michelle Obama also attended Thursday's memorial service.

The large crowd inside Baylor was dotted with people wearing T-shirts that read, "God bless West."

Before the memorial, 1,000 firefighters from across the U.S. held a half-mile-long procession in Waco to honor the fallen firefighters.

Investigators have located a 93-foot-wide and 10-foot-wide deep crater where the central Texas explosion happened, but still don't know what caused the blast.

A 15th person who was injured in the blast — a 96-year-old man — succumbed to his injuries the following day, according to NBCDFW.com. 

Meanwhile, on Monday, the first individual lawsuit was filed as a result of the explosion. A single mom who lived next door to the West Fertilizer plant is seeking up to a million dollars after she and her 14-year-old son "lost all their worldly possessions," the suit says.

Drinking water in West is still not potable more than a week after the chemical fertilizer blast. Residents have boiled their water since the explosion, which shook the ground so much, it registered as a 2.4-magnitude earthquake.

Related content:

• Texas single mother files lawsuit in plant explosion
• Officials still don't know what caused Texas fertilizer explosion

   

MOBILE, Alabama - Explosions and resulting fires on two barges in the Mobile River off the Alabama city's shore injured three people and forced officials to evacuate nearby shipyards and one cruise vessel on Wednesday. 

Mobile Fire Chief Steve Dean said that for safety reasons firefighters were keeping a distance from the barges, which were carrying raw gasoline and had already been the source of multiple explosions.

The barge explosions forced the crew of Carnival Corp's cruise vessel Triumph to evacuate.

"Everybody is just monitoring the situation right now," Dean told reporters.

John David Mercer / AP

Fire burns aboard two fuel barges along the Mobile River after explosions sent three workers to the hospital on Wednesday.

Three people with a team servicing the barges were injured and transported to Mobile's University of South Alabama Medical Center, Mobile Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Steve Huffman said. A hospital spokesman said separately that they were all in critical condition.

Fire officials had initially said the barge explosions involved natural gas.

Huffman had no information on who owns the barges or details of their destination.

The cause of the explosions was unknown, he added.

Carnival Corp's Triumph previously made headlines in February when an engine fire left it and 4,000 passengers adrift in the Gulf of Mexico, until they were towed back to land.

This story was originally published on Thu Apr 25, 2013 12:46 AM EDT