A former upstate New York mayor has been killed and two others injured after a high-pressure food processor being tested for manufacturing guacamole exploded.
Dr Joseph Kapp, 67, local businessman and former mayor of Rensselaer, New York, died at hospital after the explosion on Wednesday morning at Innovative Test Solutions, an engineering firm and test laboratory.
Schenectady Fire Department Assistant Chief Don Mareno told the Times-Union of Albany that the machine was a 'high-pressure vessel.'
Two other people who were present during the testing were sent to Ellis Hospital with less serious injuries, Mareno said, according to News10. The surviving victims have not been named.
Scott Briody, Innovative’s CEO and vice president, told the newspaper that Kapp was a client of the firm.
Kapp was the vice chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hudson Valley Community College in Troy and a former mayor of Rensselaer during the 1990s. He was also involved in research and invention. 
The explosion that killed Kapp and injured two others took place at Innovative Test Solutions, an engineering firm and test laboratory in Schenectady, New York
Police are pictured at the scene of the blast on King Road, which damaged the building
Kapp and the other victims were at Innovative Test Solutions on Kings Road in Schenectady at around 7am when the guacamole-making machine exploded.
The blast damaged the facility, but no fire or chemical spill were reported, according to Spectrum News.
The local codes department and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration were reportedly both notified about the incident.
It is unclear at this time why the machinery experienced what has been described as a 'catastrophic failure during trial operational tests.'
Kapp, the vice chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hudson Valley Community College, is survived by his wife, Jolanta, and their children
'As a true friend, a remarkable leader, and the longest serving trustee on our board, Joe Kapp will be greatly missed by our college community,' Dr Roger Ramsammy, President of Hudson Valley Community College, said in a statement.
'Once a student at Hudson Valley, Joe gave back to the college immensely and served admirably as a trustee for two decades. With heavy hearts, we share our deepest sympathies with Joe’s wife, Yolanta, and the entire Kapp family.'
Kapp is survived by his wife and children, one of whom, a son, is serving in the US Navy.
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