CURITIBA, August 12: Nine people were killed on Tuesday in a powerful explosion at an explosives manufacturing plant in southern Brazil, officials confirmed.
The blast occurred at around 6:00 am local time (0900 GMT) in the metropolitan area of Curitiba, the capital of Paraná state. Images released by the Paraná Fire Department showed widespread devastation, with the factory site reduced to rubble.
Authorities said the victims — six men and three women — had been missing since the incident and were later confirmed dead. “There is no longer hope of finding survivors among those who were at the site,” stated Colonel Hudson, Paraná’s secretary of public security.
Seven other individuals sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals. Search teams, aided by sniffer dogs, combed through the debris for any remaining victims.
“The explosion caused severe destruction,” fire department spokeswoman Luisiana Guimaraes reported, adding that within a 1.5-kilometer radius, numerous houses suffered broken windows, structural damage, and were hit by a strong shock wave.
Executives from Enaex Brasil, the company operating the facility, said an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the accident. The firm also pledged to provide psychological assistance to the victims’ families.
Residents in several nearby towns reported hearing the explosion.
