3 killed as firework warehouse explodes in Spain

Three people were killed on Monday following an explosion at a warehouse storing fireworks in the town of Guadix in southern Spain, the Spanish Civil Guard confirmed to Xinhua.

The explosion happened at the warehouse of the company Pirotecnia María Angustias (Maria Angustias Fireworks) on the outskirts of the town at around 18:30 local time.

"The three workers who died were working inside the building when the explosion occurred," said a Civil Guard spokesperson, adding that there were no further victims and that the causes of the accident were being investigated.

According to the spokesperson, there were six people in the building when the accident happened, with three employees having a lucky escape.

"What has happened could have been a lot worse," explained the spokesperson, who highlighted the rapid arrival of the fire brigade, ambulances and rescue services on the scene.

The Spanish media report that in June 2004, two people lost their lives in another accident at the same warehouse.

This is the third fatal accident involving a company that manufactures fireworks in Spain in 2018. A worker was killed by an explosion in Olocau in eastern Spain in March, while a married couple lost their lives in another incident in Tui in northwest Spain in May.