On April 7, 2026, about 7:15 a.m. local time, a DOT 407 AL (aluminum) cargo tank, owned and operated by Brenntag, carrying about 1,100 gallons of Sodium Hydroxide Solution (UN1824), exploded at a facility in Mooresville, North Carolina. The driver of the semi-tractor-trailer to which the cargo tank was attached was killed in the explosion. An employee of the facility suffered minor injuries due to the explosion and was transported to the a Medical Center in Charlotte, where she was treated and released. The explosion of the cargo tank led to the release of the Sodium Hydroxide Solution in the cargo tank. The Mooresville Fire Department responded to the explosion. The trucking company estimated the damage to the cargo tank at about $144,000. At the time of the incident, visibility conditions were clear with early morning daylight; the weather was 44°F with no precipitation.
The cargo tank was divided into five (5) compartments. Compartment 1 of the cargo tank was nearest to the semi-tractor-trailer’s cab, and compartment 5 was farthest away from the cab. On the morning of April 6 (the day before the incident), compartments 1 and 5 were loaded with Sodium Hydroxide Solution at the loading facility in Lenoir, North Carolina. Compartments 2, 3, and 4 were not loaded and were empty. The driver delivered the Sodium Hydroxide Solution in compartment 1 to South Carolina on April 6.
On April 7, at about 6:42 a.m., security video footage at the facility showed the driver arriving at the facility. Shortly after this, security video footage showed a white vapor emitting from the underside of the semi-tractor-trailer near compartment 5, and the driver climbing onto compartment 5 and then going under it. Trucking company employees told National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators that the driver had reported a leak in compartment 5 after arriving at the facility. Witnesses at the facility told NTSB investigators that immediately before the explosion, the driver was walking behind compartment 5. As a result of the explosion, compartment 5 was separated from the other compartments of the cargo tank.
While on scene, NTSB investigators observed that the liquid line hose from compartment 5 was NOT connected to the facility’s receiving connection.
All aspects of the explosion remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause with the intent to issue safety recommendations to prevent similar incidents.
