A powerful explosion rocked a chemical plant in the industrial park of Alcalá de Guadaíra, situated about 16 kilometers east of Seville’s city center, around midday on Wednesday. The blast sent a towering column of dense black smoke into the sky, visible from towns over 80 kilometers away. Emergency services responded swiftly, evacuating all personnel from the site and nearby warehouses as a precaution, while the full extent of the incident’s impact was still being assessed.

Authorities immediately issued warnings to residents in the vicinity, with the town hall of Alcalá de Guadaíra advising its 77,000 inhabitants to stay indoors, seal windows and doors, and use face masks to avoid inhaling potentially toxic fumes. Civil Protection sent alerts to mobile devices throughout the area, and the regional government of Andalusia declared a level 1 emergency due to concerns about air quality and the unknown nature of the burning chemicals.

The facility, operated by Plainsur, specializes in the distribution and storage of industrial chemicals, including highly combustible substances like ethylene, toluene, and various solvents. The plant covers 11,000 square meters and has the capacity to store significant volumes of bulk liquid chemicals. While the exact materials involved in the fire remain unconfirmed, the size and persistence of the smoke cloud raised fears of possible poisoning and environmental contamination.

Emergency services reported that two people suffered minor injuries: one plant worker sustained light burns, and a firefighter experienced illness during response efforts. The incident followed a recent series of industrial accidents across Spain, including another chemical factory fire in the northeast and a major power outage affecting both Spain and Portugal. Firefighters from seven stations across the province joined efforts to contain the blaze, as authorities continued to monitor the situation and provide updates to affected residents.