The black column of smoke could still be seen from afar: two people died in an industrial fire in Spain’s La Rioja province. Further eruptions do not seem impossible.

An explosion and subsequent fire at a biodiesel factory in the northern Spanish region of La Rioja killed two people. The newspaper “El Dia de la Rioja” and other media, citing security officials, reported that the factory and the entire El Ricuenco industrial area in the municipality of Calahora were evacuated immediately after the emergency on Thursday afternoon. In addition, around 250 children who had attended a nearby school tour had already been evacuated.

A thick plume of black smoke and flames could be seen from afar after the explosion, according to video footage and photographs released by the media and social media. Kalahora municipality said that all available police and fire brigade units have been sent to the factory to douse the fire and provide safety measures. The area should be avoided as further eruptions cannot be ruled out. The cause of the explosion in Calahora around 1 p.m., about 300 kilometers northeast of Madrid, was initially unclear.