Argentina – 5 Killed In Fire At La Esperanza Sugar Refinery

Provincial authorities in Jujuy declare two days of mourning after fatalities. Five other people were treated for severe burns.

At least five people have died after being incinerated in a blaze on Wednesday at the La Esperanza sugar refinery in the northern province of Jujuy.

Five other people were treated for severe burns – in one case, covering 80 percent of the patient’s body. Around 140 people were working in the refinery at the time of the explosion, which triggered the blaze.

The flames spread so rapidly that for fear of explosions, the authorities ordered an evacuation of the vicinity with a radius of 400 metres. As a result firemen had to await authorisation before entering the grounds to see if there were any more fatal victims

The refinery blaze originated from the explosion of a tank of alcohol, according to Julio Bravo, the mayor of nearby San Pedro, Jujuy’s second-largest city, located some 60km from the provincial capital.

The Jujuy provincial government decreed two days of mourning in the province.