Explosion heard at Contecar factory as flames and black smoke fills sky

08 March 2024 , 16:56

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The explosion was witnessed at the Contecar factory in Cartagena, Colombia

Workers were forced to frantically flee a shipping warehouse in Cartagena, Colombia today after a sudden explosion.

Eyewitnesses described seeing flames and black smoke rise into the sky for miles around as a fire ensued, which later spread to a second building.

Dramatic footage from the scene at Cartagena Container Terminal shows 10 workers running out of the facility after the alarm was raised.

One of the men can be heard urging his colleagues to get out quickly because something is burning.

Explosions were still heard an hour after the flames started, according to local media, while local residents reported seeing dark material fall from the sky.

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Fire crews have been at the scene attempting to bring the blaze under control since 11am local time, and nearby facilities at the port and local residents have been evacuated as a precaution. No injuries have yet been confirmed.

Thick black smoke has been seen for miles around the port town

As one of Colombia's major port terminals, warehouses in the city of Contecar play an important role in transporting containers for imports and exports. The mayor of the city, Dumek Turbay Paz, said on X (formerly Twitter) of the fire: “Right now it is being controlled. The staff is safe. We use all our capabilities to control the situation." The Mayor's Office said it had created a unified command post to control the situation, while staff from oil firm Ecopetrol are said to be supporting response actions.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas