Bunker Hill man dies in explosion

The explosion that took place on Thursday afternoon, June 22, at the Winchester ammunition plant at Olin Corp. in East Alton killed a Bunker Hill man.

Oscar "Zeke" R. Bettorf, age 60, a truck driver was pro- nounced deceased by Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn. Bettorf was the driver of a semi loaded with shotgun shell primers that exploded while being transported inside the Winchester ammunition plant, Nonn said.

The explosion was heard throughout the town and many homes were rattled by the blast. Winchester’s manufacturing operations are located in East Alton and Oxford, Miss. It makes ammu...