In Memory ~ Marcus "Mark" Christopher Broome

The victim of the tragedy Saturday at the International Paper Mill had just started to work this past Friday and died the next day on the job.

Many questions still remain when a boiler exploded at the International Paper Mill in Redwood, in Warren County. The Saturday blast killed Marcus "Mark" Christopher Broome, 28, of Bolton, MS.

Seventeen other contract employees were injured. Most were treated and released at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. Five were taken to a burn center in Georgia, and two others were taken to Baton Rouge. The four of the five taken to Georgia are in critical condition.

It was a while before nearby residents like Vivian Middleton knew what was happening.
"I just heard the sirens go by," she says. "I looked outside and thought, 'Oh, something's got to be happening bad."

Sunday morning investigators were finally allowed inside to assess the damage and try to determine what caused the boiler to explode.

"It took a while for us to make sure it was safe to begin that work," said Amy Sawyer, a spokeswoman for International Paper. "

It's a fairly big building, and we want to make sure we have a very clear understanding of all the facts surrounding it."

Mill employees continued to work Sunday. Counselors were on hand to talk with the workers.

"As you can imagine, people are very shaken up. This mill prides itself on excellent safety performance," Sawyer said. "It hasn't had a serious injury here in more than a year."

The mill has been part of this close-knit community for more than 40 years. It employs many people in the area, and Middleton says she is praying for them all.

"I feel sorry for the families and the victims that were hurt and burned -- especially the family that lost their loved one," said Middleton.

Broome leaves behind his young wife, Brooke, and 4-year-old twin daughters, Madison and Olivia.