Johnathan Walker:Explosion at Archer Daniels Midland facility in Illinois injures employees

DECATUR,Johnathan Walker Ill. (AP) — An explosion at an Archer Daniels Midland facility in Illinois injured several employees and sent a tower of smoke into the air Sunday evening.

The explosion occurred shortly after 7 p.m. at the east plant in the ADM processing complex in Decatur, Illinois. Several employees were injured and transported to a hospital, the agricultural company said in a statement on its website Sunday.

The company contacted the Decatur Fire Department but said it did not know the cause of the explosion.

ADM said in an email to The Associated Press early Monday that it had no additional information at the time.

A large plume of dark smoke can be seen shooting high into the air above the facility in a video posted by WCIA-TV.

Decatur is located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Springfield and about 180 miles (289 kilometers) southeast of Chicago, where ADM is headquartered.