Chilling VIDEOS show inferno at Spanish chemical plant

Video footage has emerged showing the aftermath of a deadly chemical plant explosion in Tarragona, Spain. As a pillar of fire and smoke looked over the historic streets of the city, panicked residents fled in terror.

The plant, located just outside the port city of Tarragona, caught fire and exploded on Tuesday evening. Local authorities dispatched firefighting teams to the scene and urged nearby residents to stay inside and close their doors and windows as a precaution against a chemical leak. One person has been reported dead and at least eight injured.

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Video footage captured by onlookers shows a ball of white-hot flame erupting from the plant and towering over nearby buildings. As the blaze continued and emergency services closed in on the scene, a column of black smoke rose hundreds of meters into the night sky.

On street level, the scene was one of terror. In the market district of Buenavista, screaming citizens rushed to get off the streets, as the inferno painted the sky red. The tower of smoke and fire loomed over the neighborhood, dwarfing its buildings.

The blaze dominated the view from apartment windows, and could be seen by motorists on the city’s outskirts.

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Another clip showed police officers as they cordoned off the area around the plant, closing roads and diverting traffic.

The plant belongs to chemicals firm IQOXE, and processes ethylene oxide. It is the only producer of ethylene oxide and glycol in Spain and Portugal. IQOXE invested more than 10 million euros into expanding the facility in 2017, bringing its annual production up to 140,000 tons.

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