Nine employees gathered to pray moments before blast killed them at mining factory
The incident took place at a warehouse operated by Enaex Brasil in Quatro Barras, a city in the southern state of Paraná, about 620 miles southwest of Rio de Janeiro.
The Paraná Civil Police reviewed surveillance video that showed the victims were preparing for a shift change and were about to pray as group just moments before the massive blast at 5:50 am local time.
'The nine arrive for work, put on their safety equipment, and gather there to say a prayer,' police chief Géssica Andrade told Brazilian news outlet G1.
'That's when the image is cut off and the explosion occurs. So, from what we can analyze, they weren't handling any explosives at that moment.'
The security camera footage, which will not be released by the police, also showed that the workers were not handling explosives.
Paraná Public Safety secretary, Hudson Texeira, told reporters on Wednesday that the bodies of the nine victims were charred and unrecognizable, and that it will take about 30 days to identify them via DNA testing.
'We are doing our best, our laboratories are working with the material that was collected from the family members,' he said.
'I don't have a specific date to give, I don't rule out the possibility of asking another state for help to complete this as quickly as possible, but I assume that in less than a month we won't be able to finish these reports.'
Enaex Brasil identified the victims as Camila Pinheiro; Cleberson Correa; Eduardo de Paula; Francieli de Oliveira; Jessica Pires; Marcio de Andrade; Pablo dos Santos; Roberto Kuhnen; and Simeon Machado.
Pinheiro began working at the factory in 2024 after his mother, who is also employed there, recommended her.
De Paula was a married and a father to three children. De Andrade was the pastor of his local evangelical church and leaves behind a wife and a six-year-old daughter.
'The company values life as its primary value and is internationally recognized for its safety practices in the manufacture of civilian explosives, with procedures that go beyond regulatory requirements,' Enaex Brasil said in a statement.
'The company is working to implement a contingency plan based on ensuring proper care for the victims and their families, to whom we express our sincere condolences and offer our solidarity to all those involved in this tragedy.'
Military Fire Department chief, Antonio Lino, said that the material that generated the explosion could cause significant destruction and was littered throughout the site.
The fire department had to suspend the search for at least eight missing victims following Tuesday morning's massive blast at a mining factory in Quatro Barras, Brazil
First responders initiated a search for victims on Tuesday afternoon but suspended it over fears of additional explosions.
The factory operates 24 hours a day and manufactures different types of explosives, including 'busters' which are required for rock blasting.
The explosion caused damage to homes in seven other cities.
The Paraná Civil Police and the Paraná Public Ministry of Labor are leading the investigation.
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