The Associated Press

CORBIN, Ky. - A factory hit by an explosion that killed six people will be rebuilt in Corbin, officials said Thursday.

James J. Pike, head of CTA Acoustics, said his company has reached a tentative agreement to build a new plant in the Southeast Regional Business Park.

The final agreement is subject to approval of economic assistance being promised by local and state officials.

Pike said designs are being worked on now for construction of three buildings that would be occupied by the end of the year.

"This decision reflects our strong commitment to our loyal and dedicated employees, and to the community in which we operate," Pike said. ." We have always regarded CTA's employees as a strategic asset. Reaffirming our commitment to them and to the community is not just the right thing to do. It's also a smart business decision."

Until the buildings are constructed, CTA will continue to work out of the damaged building in Corbin, as well as a nearby factory building that it has been leasing since the explosion.

Investigators continue to search for the cause of the explosion and fire at the plant where insulation is made for the automobile industry.

It was the most deadly workplace accident in Kentucky since 1989, when an explosion in a Union County coal mine killed 10 people.

Dozens of others were treated at local hospitals for injuries from the blast that occurred just after the start of a work shift on Feb. 20.