Four Dead in County Fair Blast

July 30 -- The Medina, Ohio county fair where four people were killed and dozens injured when an antique steam engine exploded Sunday evening opened for business today.

One police officer, two steam-engine operators and a vendor setting up a booth near the display were killed in the blast, according to the Medina county sheriff's office.

Nearly 50 others were injured in the blast, which sent hot oil and shrapnel flying through the air. Fair spokeswoman Allison Pitit said the injuries ranged from burns to lacerations caused by the debris.

Nine people remained hospitalized today at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. One of them was in serious condition.

Among the people injured were two police officers who were about to give the drivers of the tractor a ticket for operating heavy machinery on a city street without a permit.

It could be weeks before officials are ready to say what caused the explosion, since two of the people killed were the men operating the tractor and witnesses are spread out throughout area hospitals so it will take some time to interview them all, Fire Chief Bill Herthneck said.

It is the second straight year the fair has faced problems. Last year fair organizers had to shut down the petting zoo because of an outbreak of E. coli. One girl was critically ill and 30 others got sick as a result of the bacteria outbreak.

At Least One Child Burned Badly

"It was bad. Real bad," one unidentified witness said. "A bunch of little kids like 12, 12 little kids, were up in there. It was horrible... the worst thing I've ever seen in my life."

A child brought to Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron had burns covering 100 percent of the body, The Associated Press reported. That child's condition is unknown.

The deceased have been identified as Alan Kimble, 46; Cliff Kovacic, 48; William Kovacic, 27; and Dennis Jungbluth, 58.

Turn-of-the-Century Relic Turns Deadly

The yellow-and-red steam engine was of the type used by farmers a century ago to power their equipment. But the beautiful relic turned deadly when it exploded from the inside, the force of the blast sent shrapnel flying hundreds of feet.