Blast at Spain's Barcelona port kills one person

In a post on social messaging platform X, the emergency services said the explosion took place during maintenance work at the so-called “Energy Wharf”, where chemicals, natural gas and refined petroleum products are loaded, Reuters news agency reported.

Barcelona’s city hall said in a statement it had received an alert “for a fire caused by the explosion of a transport tank” at 10.40 a.m. (0940 GMT) and subsequently activated its chemical risk emergency plan.

The companies in the area have ordered the confinement of their staff as a precautionary measure, the statement added.

MA/PR