Investigation begins after fatal fire at paper mill in Sartell

A plume of black smoke rises after an explosion that touched off a fire Monday, May 28, 2012 at the Verso Paper Company mill in Sartell, Minn. One person was killed and at least four others were injured in the explosion that caused a large fire at the paper mill. (AP Photo/St. Cloud Times, Kimm Anderson)

SARTELL, Minn. (AP) — The city of Sartell plans to bring in a structural engineer to check the integrity of a paper mill as it begins investigating the cause of an explosion and fire that killed one person and injured five others.

Verso Paper Corp. said 50 employees were working Monday when an explosion rocked the plant and shook neighboring homes. The St. Cloud Times reported that the man killed in the explosion and fire is Jon Maus of Albany.

Three of the injured were treated and released from St. Cloud Hospital. The conditions of the two others injured were not immediately released.

The downtown mill is a top employer in Sartell, which has a population of about 16,000. Mayor Joe Perske said that when something happens at the mill, it affects the whole city.