Preparations for a routine maintenance task may have led to an explosion at a U.S. Steel coal-processing plant near Pittsburgh that left two dead and sent 10 to hospitals, the company said Friday. U.S.

The explosion, followed by several smaller blasts, could be felt in the nearby community and prompted county officials to warn residents to stay away from the scene so emergency workers could respond.

The deadly explosion at Clairton Coke Works near Pittsburgh occurred when a gas valve was flushed before planned maintenance, U.S. Steel said in preliminary findings.