U.S. Steel released preliminary findings about the potential cause of Monday's deadly explosion at U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works. U.S. Steel spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said in a statement on Friday that "preliminary indications lead us to believe" that the explosion happened when a gas valve was flushed in preparation for planned maintenance.

United States Steel Corp. said Friday the fatal blast that killed two workers at its Clairton Coke Works facility in Pennsylvania happened when flushing a gas valve in preparation for planned maintenance.

U.S. Steel says preparations for a routine maintenance task may have led to an explosion at a U.S. Steel coal-processing plant near Pittsburgh that left two dead, sent 10 to hospitals and damaged part of the sprawling facility.