Three Workers Seriously Injured with Burns in Explosion at Ciudad Real Company

Three workers were seriously injured with burns following an explosion on Monday at a sanitary waste treatment company in Socuéllamos (Ciudad Real). The explosion occurred at the plant that the Athisa group opened this year in the "El Llano" industrial estate of this town.

The deflagration, the causes of which are under investigation, caused burns to two workers on 80 percent of their bodies. A third employee suffered open fractures and burns on 30 percent of his body surface. All three were airlifted by medical helicopters to various hospitals.

Several ambulances, along with officers from the Civil Guard and the Local Police of Socuéllamos, as well as firefighters from Tomelloso (Ciudad Real), were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the fire and secure the area. Despite the severity of the explosion, it was not necessary to evacuate workers from nearby companies, although it was advised to avoid the area. The Socuéllamos Town Hall reassured the public via social media, stating "there is no risk of contamination or danger to residents following the intervention of emergency services and subsequent checks."

Following this industrial accident, the general secretary of CC.OO. in Castilla-La Mancha, Javier Ortega, stated that his union will be "vigilant to ensure all safety measures have been adhered to."

This plant was inaugurated in March of this year and has since faced opposition from locals, who even formed the Stop Socuéllamos Medical Waste Plant platform, due to the company's handling of infectious and hazardous waste, including urine from patients undergoing cytostatic treatments, urine from hospitalised patients receiving last-generation antibiotics, and urine containing drugs toxic to aquatic organisms, such as diclofenac or ibuprofen.