Advertisement

At least 30 injured in warehouse blast in south of Madrid

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
At least 30 injured in warehouse blast in south of Madrid
The explosion caused a huge black column of smoke. Photo: @BomberosCM / Twitter

At least 30 people were injured Thursday, three of them seriously, when an explosion hit a recycling plant for hazardous chemical waste near Madrid, forcing the evacuation of nearby schools, authorities said.

Advertisement

"Right now, we have three seriously injured by burns and other injuries," a spokesman for the firefighters said, adding that 27 others were also hurt to a lesser degree.

He said authorities were probing the cause of the explosion in the warehouse in Arganda del Rey, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) southeast of the Spanish capital.

Madrid's 112 emergency services centre tweeted that there had been "several explosions."

The Guardia Civil police force meanwhile posted a video of a large, black column of smoke billowing from the warehouse, and announced it was evacuating the zone, which includes several schools.

Firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze.   

It was not yet known whether the smoke was toxic, but the emergency services centre said an air quality measuring station in Arganda del Rey showed normal readings.

"A mobile unit is going to take measurements in the zone," it added.

The Guardia Civil police force meanwhile posted a video of a large, black column of smoke billowing from the warehouse, and announced it was evacuating the zone, which includes several schools.

 "Neighbours have been asked not to leave their homes and to keep windows closed," a spokesman for Arganda del Rey's city hall told AFP, emphasising however that air quality was "normal".

Requimsa, the company that owns the site, "manages and collects all types of hazardous waste", according to its website.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also