Three people have died and seven others have been injured, a number of them seriously, during to a serious explosion in Ibi, just north of Alicante. The explosion occurred this afternoon in an industrial warehouse devoted to the manufacture of plastic containers and packaging.
According to Elvira Vidal, head of the Local Police of Ibi, the deaths occurred when the roof of the building collapsed. Firefighters are currently monitoring the area.
The 31-year-old son of the company owners was evacuated by helicopter to Valencia.
Others injured include two women aged 21 and 25 who were taken to the Ibi health centre in a SVB ambulance, while a 47-year-old man was taken to the Alcoy hospital with multiple injuries. Two men aged 49 and 57 were also taken to the same hospital with bruises. Finally, another 43-year-old man was taken to the Doctor Balmis hospital in Alicante with serious burns.
There were 39 employees working when the explosion occurred, which was caused by the explosion of a boiler at around 12 noon at the Industrias Climber SA factory, located on Avenida del Juguete. One of the deceased worked at Ibi Pal, a factory next to the one that suffered the explosion.
Firefighters, local police, Civil Guard and paramedics are all working at the scene of the accident.
As a result of the explosion, part of the factory roof and walls collapsed, leaving several people who were inside the warehouse trapped by the rubble.
Firefighters have reported that they have freed two workers, while another missing person has been found dead at the scene of the explosion.
Seven fire brigades from five different fire stations in the province attended the incident as well as members of the Guardia Civil and the Local Police. Witnesses reported that they heard people screaming for help from inside the warehouse and described the explosion as “tremendous”.
The CICU mobilized a medical helicopter, 3 SAMU units and 4 SVB units.
