Ibi declares three days of official mourning after workplace accident

The Ibi Town Hall has declared three days of official mourning following the accident at the Industrias Climber SA facility, which resulted in three fatalities and seven injuries, according to the Emergency Information and Coordination Centre (CICU).

In a post on the social network X, the council of this municipality in the l'Alcoià region stated that "as a sign of the town's grief for the accident victims", the mayor has decreed these days of mourning, during which flags will fly at half-mast.

As a result of the explosion, three men have died, with their ages not specified; two women aged 21 and 25 sustained minor injuries and were taken to a health centre by a Basic Life Support ambulance; a 47-year-old man was transferred to Alcoy hospital by SAMU for multiple injuries; two men aged 49 and 57 were taken to the same hospital by SVB for contusions; a 43-year-old man was taken to Doctor Balmis hospital by SAMU for burns, and a medical helicopter evacuated a 31-year-old man to La Fe, also for burns.

In statements to the media from the scene, the Government Delegate in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé, confirmed that two of the deceased workers belonged to Climber, where the incident occurred, and another to the neighbouring company Ibipal. Bernabé thanked the employees who formed a human chain to remove the debris.

Meanwhile, the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, expressed being "very concerned" about the workplace accident and "awaiting the information we are receiving." "I want to send my support to workers and families after this sad event," he stated in a message on the social network X.

In fact, the Red Cross has mobilised an Immediate Response Team for Psychosocial Intervention to the affected company to assist the families and relatives of those impacted by the explosion.

Currently, a socio-sanitary emergency team is in the area providing a temporarily conditioned space for families while psychosocial intervention resources are mobilised, according to the organisation.

The affected company is dedicated to the manufacture of packaging and containers by moulding Expanded Polystyrene, and at the time of the explosion, it had 39 employees inside the facilities. Meanwhile, the neighbouring Ibipal facility manufactures and recycles pallets.