4 hurt in blast, fire at factory

Firefighters from across the area, along with State Police and emergency management officials, responded shortly after 7:30 p.m. to reports of an explosion at or near 211 Boston St., a large industrial complex belonging to Bostik Inc., said Stephen D. Coan, the state fire marshal.

The identities of the four injured people were not available last night but they were plant employees, according to Middleton Fire Chief Frank Twiss. Officials said the injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Two Bostik buildings were heavily damaged, but no surrounding homes were affected, said Coan.

Bostik is an adhesive and sealant manufacturer, according to its website. The cause of the explosion at the Middleton facility was not immediately apparent, authorities said.

Boston Street resident Beverly Peterson, in a telephone interview, reported hearing “a big bang’’ from the direction of the Bostik campus.

“We’re really concerned,’’ said Peterson. “We saw a bunch of ambulances head down toward the plant.’’

Another local resident, Amy Fuller, said she thought a tree fell on her house as she was putting her kids to bed.

She said her house shook for 40 seconds. “It shook [the house] like an earthquake,’’ she said.

The plant is located near the Middleton, Peabody, and Lynn field town lines.

Coan said the blast frightened residents already on edge after the devastating earthquake that struck Japan on Friday.

“When the ground shakes and there is a large explosion, there is that unknown factor and people are concerned, given what’s happened in Japan,’’ Coan said.

Police closed Route 62 in Middleton and some local roads for several hours, but did not order any evacuations.

Neighbors reported a strong chemical smell in the air in the area surrounding the plant property. “The hazmat team determined that there is no airborne environmental hazard,’’ Coan said last night.

A decontamination tent was set up at Beverly Hospital, and the four victims were rinsed with water before being treated by medical personnel, said Cindy Donaldson, a spokeswoman for Northeast Hospital Corp.

Crews at the scene were concerned about chemical runoff into the ground water, Coan said.

Edmund Coletta, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said his agency, as well as federal environmental officials, was at the scene late last night.

No test results were immediately available, he said.

Authorities believe local drinking water supplies are safe, Coan said.

The Ipswich River Watershed Association director, Kerri Mackin, said she was “very concerned’’ about possible contamination of the river following the blast. She had not spoken to Bostik officials as of last night.

“We have a good working relationship with them over the years,’’ Mackin said. “They’ve been very responsible in taking care of the river.’’

Calls to Bostik’s headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wis., and to its Middleton plant offices were not returned last night.

John M. Guilfoil of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Bella Travaglini contributed to this report.