Tom Ewart Smith
THIS is the moment a massive explosion at a chemical warehouse in southern Spain sent workers fleeing for their lives on Wednesday.
Shocking scenes shared online show a towering plume of thick black smoke rising into the sky – which is even visible from space.
The blast occurred at the Plainsur facility, a chemical distribution company located in the La Red industrial estate in Alcala de Guadaira, just 16 kilometres east of Sevilla.
READ MORE: WATCH: Devastating fire that blazed through southern Spain was sparked by ‘lightning strike’
The explosion happened around 1.20pm, triggering a fire that remained active for hours and forced emergency services into action.
Footage shows the explosion in its full force, sending debris flying and workers sprinting for safety as flames emerged from the building.
The fire produced a cloud of smoke so large that it was visible from towns more than 80 kilometres away and it was even captured by satellite imaging.
Two people were injured in the incident – one warehouse employee suffered minor burns while a firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation during efforts to bring the blaze under control.
Authorities activated Andalucia’s Territorial Emergency Plan shortly after the explosion, alerting around 25,000 residents via SMS and advising them to remain indoors, shut windows and doors, and wear masks to avoid exposure to potentially toxic fumes.
A specialised medical unit was deployed to the scene as a precaution, and surrounding businesses – part of an estate housing over 260 companies – were evacuated.
The fire is now confined as of Thursday morning, and took more than 100 emergency workers to control.
Initial investigations suggest the fire began while a worker was handling a highly flammable solvent, with a single spark believed to have caused the devastating incident.
The exact chemical substances involved, however, have not yet been confirmed.
This Thursday, the emergency alert was officially deactivated, although a partial road closure and suspension of activity at several nearby firms remain in place.
