Fire at Spanish chemical warehouse forces evacuation and lockdown
The fire forced 80,000 people to be confined to their homes by toxic air that enveloped the town. One person has been reported injured and has been taken to the hospital with burns, according to reports.
The Andalusia Emergency Service reported receiving the first alerts at 1:20 pm from the company operating the warehouse, stating there had been an explosion at the facility.
As a preventive measure, the company evacuated all its staff. However, it has yet to be confirmed whether the incident caused any injuries.
The authorities have described the incident as "troubling" due to the fire's scale and the burning material's nature.
Civil Protection has sent an alert to all mobile devices in the town of Alcalá de Guadaíra through the Es-Alert system to alert them of the fire and prevent them from leaving their homes.
Authorities have recommended "closing doors and windows so that the smoke does not enter" and " using masks." The Junta de Andalucía regional government has also declared a level 1 emergency.
Firefighters from seven fire stations in the province, including nearby towns of Alcalá de Guadaíra, Utrera, Arahal, La Rinconada, Mairena del Alcor and Sanlúcar la Mayor, have been brought in to fight the fire.
The company that runs the facility has been engaged in the distribution and commercialisation of chemical products since 1985.
Its facility has a surface area of 11,000 square metres, of which 4,500 are covered. Its storage capacity for bulk liquid products is 1,000 cubic metres, and it can store more than 5,000 pallets.
It has not been confirmed what material is burning at the moment, but the cloud of smoke generated by the fire is visible from municipalities located more than 80 kilometres from the site. The authorities continue to work to control the situation and prevent the fire from spreading.
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