3 killed in explosion at Jacksonville chemical plant

Smoke rises from the explosion Wednesday. (AP photo)

JACKSONVILLE -- Three people were killed in a chemical plant explosion and fire in an industrial building north of the city, the Florida Times-Union reports. A worker who was nearby said he heard a hiss and then an explosion. Black smoke billowed from the building this afternoon. A Times-Union reporter at the scene said flames shot several stories high. One witness described "a great ball of fire in the air" and said pink insulation from the building fell on bystanders.