Quarry blast injures four workers in O Porriño, Spain
Four workers were hurt, one critically with severe burns, when a controlled blast went wrong at a granite quarry in Pontevedra province on Friday.
Four workers were injured, one critically, when a controlled explosive blast at a granite quarry in O Porriño, in Spain's Pontevedra province, went wrong shortly after 13:00 local time on Friday, Spanish news agency EFE reported.
The blast took place during scheduled quarrying work at the Granitos y Áridos de Atios quarry in the Atios parish, a long-established stone-extraction area, La Voz de Galicia reported. The timing of the controlled explosion did not go as planned and its effects reached four workers, for reasons that are not yet known.
One worker suffered burns to a large area of his body and was airlifted to the burns unit at A Coruña's Chuac hospital, where he has since been stabilised, according to La Voz de Galicia. The other three, aged between 42 and 63, were taken by ambulance to Álvaro Cunqueiro hospital in Vigo with burns and bruises, Portuguese outlet Notícias ao Minuto reported.
A fifth worker in the area escaped unhurt because he had briefly left to collect more material, La Voz de Galicia reported. Those injured included the quarry's security guard, who was present under the site's blast protocol.
Firefighters had to reach the injured in an area difficult for vehicles to access before they could be moved for treatment, La Voz de Galicia said. The quarry's remaining blasting work scheduled for the day was cancelled, and the area was evacuated after officials found at least one more line of explosives that had not yet been detonated.
Emergency crews, local police, Civil Protection, the Civil Guard and regional firefighters from O Baixo Miño responded, along with judicial police and the Civil Guard's Gedex explosives-disposal unit, which inspected the site to confirm it was safe, Notícias ao Minuto reported. O Porriño's mayor, Manuel Alejandro Lorenzo, travelled to the scene to follow the condition of the injured, La Voz de Galicia said.
What we know
- Four quarry workers were injured, one critically with severe burns, in a blast at O Porriño, Pontevedra province
- The critically injured worker was airlifted to a burns unit in A Coruña and has been stabilised
- The other three workers, aged 42 to 63, were taken to hospital in Vigo with burns and bruises
- An undetonated line of explosives was found at the site, prompting an evacuation and inspection by a bomb-disposal unit
- The cause of the blast's mistimed effects has not yet been determined
Why it matters for Europe
The discovery of a second, undetonated line of explosives at the quarry after the blast meant the site had to be evacuated and inspected by the Civil Guard's specialist Gedex unit before investigators could establish what went wrong. The incident has prompted the cancellation of further scheduled blasting work at the quarry while the cause is examined.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- La Voz de Galicia: Cuatro heridos, uno de ellos muy grave, en una explosión en una cantera en O Porriño
- EFE: Cuatro trabajadores heridos, dos graves, tras una explosión en una cantera de O Porriño (Pontevedra)
- La Razón: Una explosión durante una voladura en una cantera de O Porriño (Pontevedra) deja cuatro trabajadores heridos, uno grave
- Notícias ao Minuto: Explosão em pedreira em Espanha faz quatro feridos (um em estado grave)
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- How many people were hurt in the O Porriño quarry explosion?
- Four workers were injured, one critically with severe burns and three others with burns and bruises, officials said.
- What caused the explosion?
- A controlled blast during scheduled quarrying work did not go as planned, for reasons that have not yet been determined.
- Was anyone evacuated afterwards?
- Yes, the site was evacuated after an undetonated line of explosives was found, and a bomb-disposal unit inspected the area.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.