1 dead, several injured in explosion at Port of Barcelona

One person was killed and another critically injured after a tank of methyl acetate exploded at the Port of Barcelona on Tuesday morning, reported Xinhua.

The Catalan regional government, the Barcelona local authority, and Civil Guards confirmed that the explosion occurred at 10:10 a.m. local time (0910 GMT) at a warehouse operated by logistics and storage company Terminales Porturarias S.L. (TEPSA) at the Port of Barcelona.

The blast claimed one life while another individual with critical injury was rushed to Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona. Three others sustained minor injuries but did not need hospital treatment. Authorities issued an alert for a potential chemical spill. Although methyl acetate is flammable, it is not considered toxic.

The explosion triggered a fire that has now been extinguished. A security zone has been established around the site and investigations into the cause of the incident are underway.

TEPSA released a statement saying that all safety protocols were activated immediately after the explosion and that the situation is now under control, posing no danger to people or the environment.

The company said that the rest of its facilities remain safe and confirmed its full collaboration with the authorities investigating the incident.