On Thursday, two people were killed in an explosion at a biodiesel plant in Spain. Officials evacuated 250 children from the area.
Black smoke rises from a biodiesel production plant in Calahora, northern Spain, Thursday, May 26, 2022. (AP photo)
An explosion at a biodiesel production plant in northern Spain killed two people and forced the evacuation of 250 children who were on a field trip nearby, police said on Thursday.
Police video of the explosion showed flames at the plant in the northern region of La Rioja, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the sky. Police said the two people killed were both workers at the plant.
Emergency personnel scrambled to clear the area, including a nearby theme park.
“There was a field trip of 250 children a few meters away from the plant, who were to be transferred to another area out of danger,” police said in a statement.
No children were reportedly harmed. Officials are investigating the cause of the blast.
The municipality of Calahorra, where the plant is located, said on Twitter that it had cordoned off a one-kilometre radius around the plant as emergency officials work to douse the fire.
Mayor Alyssa Garrido wrote on Twitter: “The situation is under control at this time.” “The plant and industrial area have been completely evacuated.”