MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A Milwaukee Department of Public Works employee is seriously injured after an explosion inside a garbage can sent him flying.
It happened last week as two sanitation workers were picking up trash near Abert Place and N. 9th Street.
Video from DPW shows the two men working their route when an explosion inside one of the cans goes off as the workers move closer to the truck. The blast knocked one worker off his feet and onto the ground.
That worker suffered serious injuries and is now home recovering.
Watch: Sanitation worker thrown several feet and seriously injured after trash can explosion
A DPW spokesperson said someone inappropriately disposed of oxygen tanks in the trash.
TMJ4 News talked with people who live in the home where neighbors said the explosion happened. Those tenants said an elderly woman who was on oxygen used to live there and passed away earlier this month. They claim they have no idea how the oxygen tanks ended up in the trash.
Milwaukee Police said they are looking into the incident, but that there is no formal investigation since the improper disposal of oxygen tanks is not a crime — it is a code violation.
MMSD and DPW said oxygen tanks are supposed to be returned to the company that provided them. There is currently no location in the city where residents can properly dispose of them.
There are several items that you can and cannot put in your trash. For a complete list and where to dispose of those items, click here.
This story was reported on-air by Jenna Rae and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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