An explosion at a metal recycling plant near Bedford, Ohio, Monday sent molten slag and debris airborne, injuring at least 12 workers on-site and leading to the death of another in the hospital.

The deceased man, Steven Mullins, 46, had worked at the I. Schumann & Co. LLC foundry near Bedford for 28 years, according to the media reports.

The explosion at the bronze and brass alloy-focused facility occurred at 2:15 p.m. local time. The cause is unknown.

“It seemed like a lot of burn victims. … People were mostly walking wounded. They were coming up to us,” Oakwood Village Fire Department Capt. Brian Dirocco said, according to WEWS-TV, a Cleveland ABC affiliate.

The force of the blast sent debris hitting cars and buildings at neighboring businesses.

“Looks like a volcano erupted,” an unnamed employee at Rose Colored Gaming across the street from the foundry told WOIO-TV, a Cleveland CBS affiliate.

Jeff Huhn, a worker at Mid-State Sales also across the street, told the Akron Beacon Journal, “We were just loading up a truck, getting ready to leave, and it was the loudest noise we ever heard. … We looked out and saw a huge plume of smoke. About 40 feet down from the entrance, it blew up half the building. It blew debris and shrapnel. There were cars on fire.”

Another witness was finishing lunch in his car across the street as the explosion occurred.

“I’m finishing my pork chop from Tasty Take-Outs, like I usually do. … Next thing you know — BOOM. I looked over and it was just, boom. … I don’t know how nothing hit me,” witness Joe Sarconi told WEWS.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.