Tanker that exploded at Mooresville beverage company was leaking before blast
A tanker carrying cleaning chemicals that exploded Tuesday morning at a Mooresville-based beverage company was leaking 20 minutes before it exploded, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.
The explosion occurred at the Carolina Beverage Group, killing one person and injuring another who was near the blast and suffered chemical burns, Mooresville Fire-Rescue Chief Shane LaCount said at a news conference Tuesday.
Authorities haven’t identified the person who died.
The NTSB, which sent four investigators to the scene Tuesday, said the explosion occurred at 7:16 a.m. at the facility located on Barley Park Lane. The tanker, a Brenntag tractor and cargo tank, was carrying 1,100 gallons of sodium hydroxide, a cleaning chemical, the agency said.
The driver noticed the leak and contacted his company to report it, the NTSB said.
“Approximately 20 minutes later, the cargo tank exploded separating the back compartment from the remaining compartments in the cargo tank,” the agency said.
A Brenntag spokesperson confirmed the driver of the tanker died in the explosion in an email Thursday.
“We are thankful to the Mooresville and Statesville Police and Fire Departments and emergency services agencies who responded quickly and effectively to successfully control the situation, as well as the responders at the site,” company spokesperson Raquel Sheppard said.
Sheppard said the company was cooperating with authorities in their investigations.
The blast was large enough that chemicals needed to be cleaned from the ground, equipment, and the roof of the building, LaCount said Tuesday. Hazmat and multiple cleaning crews were called to the scene.
The tanker was “deformed and defective” and the explosion caused a nitrogen tanker to leak, LaCount said.
Brenntag is a chemical wholesaler with facilities nationwide, with a location southwest of Charlotte near the South Carolina border. The North Carolina location has had no OSHA complaints or violations in the last 10 years but other Brenntag properties have collectively had 11 complaints and 12 violations.
In West Virginia, the company was fined nearly $19,000 last year when management didn’t get an employee medically evaluated before they put on a respirator during a chlorine gas leak, and for some employees unloading gas from 150 ton pound tanks without having respirators.
In Pennsylvania the year before, the company was cited for an exhaust ventilation system used to capture flammable vapors not being safe, among other problems, costing $18,000 in fines.
Carolina Beverage Group highlights safety and quality assurance at its facilities.
The company has had four violations at its sites over the last 10 years. The Mooresville facility is the headquarters of the company, but it also has production locations in Minnesota and Texas.
The NTSB said investigators are expected to be on scene for three or four days processing the scene and “conducting an initial visual examination of the equipment involved.” A preliminary report is expected in 30 days, the agency said.
Charlotte Observer reporter Julia Coin contributed to this reporting.
This story was originally published April 9, 2026 at 10:47 AM.
