Samantha Mythen
AN explosion that killed five and seriously injured four people at the Cerredo mine in northern Spain may have been caused by a firedamp explosion.
The blast occurred around 8:45 am on Monday and emergency services were called to the scene. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals via ambulance and helicopter.
Two other workers were unharmed.
The deceased were aged between 32 and 54 and were residents of the province of León.
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Government of the Principality of Asturias spokesperson Guillermo Peláez said those affected were carrying out work related to extracting minerals used in manufacturing graphite.
The cause of the blast has not been officially confirmed, however Government Delegate in Asturias Adriana Lastra believes it could have been caused by a firedamp explosion, a flammable gas made of methane.
“The important thing now is that the judicial police are already investigating what happened; they are already on the ground, and what it initially appears to be is a firedamp explosion, but as I said, we have to wait for the judicial police to do their work,” Lastra told El Pais.
Spain´s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences to the victims´ families on X.
The Asturias, Castile and León regions have declared two official days of mourning.
