At least two people died in the explosion of a Spanish biodiesel plant in the municipality of Calahorra, in the northeastern region of LaRioja, local authorities report. It is not yet clear what caused the explosion. Local TV showed footage of tall plumes of black smoke rising from the site.
A group of 250 children visiting a nearby bird park had to be evacuated, the central government regional office said. Are all well.
“At the moment the situation is under control”, the mayor of the city Elisa Garrido wrote on Twitter, “The plant and the industrial area have been completely evacuated”. The plant is managed by the private company IniciativasBioenergeticas which produces biodiesel and glycerin from recycled vegetable oils. The company has not yet commented on the incident