News in brief: Eight people were killed and 11 others injured in a grain silo explosion at an agricultural cooperative in Palotina, Brazil. One person is still missing, and authorities are investigating the cause of the incident, which occurred in one silo before spreading to two others in the facility.
No fewer than eight people have been confirmed dead and 11 others injured in a grain silo explosion at an agricultural cooperative in southern Brazil, according to a Aljazeera report.
Authorities say that one person was still missing after the incident at the C Vale cooperative in Palotina, a city in Brazil’s major grain production state, Parana.
Spokesman for the Parana fire brigade, Tiago Zajac, confirmed the incident and mentioned that the explosion had begun in one of the silos before triggering similar events in a second and a third silos within the facility.
Palotina residents reported feeling tremors several homes as the explosions blew windows apart. Media coming out of the country showed billowing columns of white smoke emanating from the site.
(Brazil) – Eight Killed, 11 Injured And One Person Still Missing, Following An Explosion At Agricultural Co-operative Grain Silo In Palotina, Parana State, Brazil#shuttletvnews pic.twitter.com/yTQNYr5YBy
— ShuttleTV (@shuttletvnews) July 28, 2023
The cooperative, C Vale, is a major soybeans, wheat and corn producer, and it stores grains in 125 units across five Brazilian states and in Paraguay. It confirmed that a ‘large-scale accident’ hit its central grain reception unit in Palotina. The authorities and the company are yet to determine what caused the conflagration.
Brazilian Agricultural Minister, Carlos Favaro, expressed deep sadness at the incident, extending condolences to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile, the authorities continued carrying out search and rescue operations within the area, while also providing support to affected families.
Even though no official reason has been adduced for the fire, experts say that grain dusts particles are highly combustible and can cause fires or explosions. Fuel, oxygen, a source of ignition, and confinement are also factors that could trigger a grain dust explosion.
With the Ukraine agricultural exports in a critical state, Brazil exports are important to feeding the rest of the world. Hence, global interest in the C Vale explosion and decisions it could lead the country’s leaders to take.
