1 killed, 6 injured in chemical plant explosion in Barcelona

At least one person was killed and six injured in an explosion at a company called Proquibasa which is dedicated to storing and distributing chemical products in the north of Barcelona on Tuesday, local Civil Protection agencies have confirmed.

The explosion happened in the Montsolis de la Verneda industrial estate around 3:00 p.m. local time, causing structural damage and leaving the streets around the site strewn with rubble. The cause of the explosion is still to be determined.

Emergency services sent 11 teams of the fire brigade in the Catalan region to the scene along with eight ambulances to treat the injured from the blast.

Early reports are that despite the blast taking place in a building storing chemicals, the explosion did not provoke a toxic cloud or a serious fire.

This is the second blast this year after a powerful explosion ripped through a chemical plant in the city of Tarragona in northeastern Spain on Jan. 14. Three were killed and seven injured in that explosion, which also produced a huge cloud of toxic gasses, forcing residents in surrounding areas to close their windows for hours.

The incidents raise further fears about the safety of storing chemicals in urban areas.