Clinton Township fatal explosion: Employees detail lack of training with hazardous material

Day one of court hearing for man charged in Clinton Twp explosion

On the first day of testimony in the fatal explosion in Clinton Township, two employees said they were in the building before it was leveled and knew that something was off.

CLINTON Twp, Mich. (FOX 2) - The owner of a Clinton Township building that exploded in March 2024, killing one person, was back in court on Thursday for the first day of his preliminary examination. 

Nour Kestou is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, accused of illegally storing dangerous chemicals in his warehouse. The warehouse ultimately exploded last March, killing a 19-year-old bystander.

Testimony in the case is ongoing, with a judge determining whether to send it to trial.

What we know:

On March 4, 2024, an explosion leveled Goo & Select Distributors at 15 Mile and Groesbeck in Clinton Township. 

The explosion involved nitrous oxide, butane canisters, and lighter fluid, killing Turner Salter, who was standing about a quarter of a mile away when he was hit by shrapnel. 

The owner of the business, 32-year-old Nour Kestou, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Salter's death. Kestou was not in the building at the time of the explosion but was arrested in New York in April 2024. 

Prosecutors allege he was planning to leave the country. 

On the first day of testimony on Thursday, Kevin Zaytuna testified that he was working at Goo & Select Distributors when the building exploded. 

"The first reaction I had is to call 911," he said. "And get away as far as possible."

Zaytuna said something seemed off in the building – hours before the explosion.

"I noticed it felt like a heatwave hit me but the front of the office was cold because the AC was going so I thought that was a little bit weird," Zaytuna said.

He and another employee, Francis Kashat, each testified on Thursday about the moments after the blast.

"We started yelling at the top of our ungs for Kevin and he's not coming out," Kashat said. "There's plumes of smoke coming out of the building."

According to Fashat, they had no formal training on how to handle hazardous materials but that employees tried to be careful.

"We were all very careful. It wasn't something where anybody was in there playing or things of that nature. Different industries have different things you have to be careful with. It was the same with us: Respect what you work with, respect your environment," Kashat said.

Despite their caution, employees, some related to the defendant, admitted there were no specific safety protocols in place.

"Companies have a structure. To put it plainly, when you're all family it's not esaclty as well structured as that, everybody has a lot of leeway," Kashat said.

What's next:

Testimony in the case is expected to continue on Friday. A judge will decide whether to send the involuntary manslaughter case against Nour Kestou to trial.