An explosion, followed by a fire, in a chemical factory in Tarragona (north-eastern Spain) left Tuesday one dead, six injured and one missing, regional officials said.
The causes of the explosion, which occurred in the IQOXE (Ethylene Oxide Chemical Industries) complex, were not immediately known. Civil Protection assured, for its part, that no "toxic substance" had been detected in the vicinity.
The firefighters indicated that about thirty teams were on site to extinguish the fire which rose from an ethylene oxide tank, and "cool the neighboring tanks".
A dead person inside a building
The regional interior manager in Catalonia, Miquel Buch, "confirmed that eight people had been injured, one dead and one missing in the explosion at La Canonja", a town in the province of Tarragona, tweeted his services.
Videos of large flames and columns of smoke were circulating on social media. A person died inside a building located in a town near the industrial park, which collapsed due to the shock wave, said Civil Protection.
The factory explosion left eight people injured, two of whom were severely burned, and four others with lighter injuries. Finally, a person who worked on the spot is missing, according to the services of the regional interior manager.
No toxic substances in the air
Initially, the authorities asked the population of several neighboring localities to confine themselves to their homes, but the measure only applies to a few areas in the immediate vicinity of the industrial park.
Quants accidents, quants avisos o quants episodis de contaminationació hi ha de haver abans que ens escolteu o passi una desgràcia?
Explosió ara nateix al polígon químic de Tarragona. pic.twitter.com/ocoOKdOiFl
"Environmental units that have visited the site report that no toxic airborne substance has been detected in the area," said Civil Protection.
Permanecemos muy atentos a las informaciones que nos llegan sobre el incendio en a petroquímico polígono de La Canonja, en Tarragona, que ha provocado varios heridos y cuantiosos daños. He contactedado con el president de la Generalitat para ofrecerle el apoyo que sea necesario. https://t.co/fYxvBAcfME
- Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) January 14, 2020Newsletter - Essential news
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered Catalan regional president Quim Torra "all the necessary support," adding that he was "very attentive to the news that came about the fire."
