Five years after a reactor explosion in Tarragona, justice is still pending

The reactor of the firm IQOXE, a chemical plant specialized in ethylene oxide, exploded five years ago in Tarragona on January 14, 2020 at 6:37 pm. 

The explosion killed three people, two company workers and a resident of the Torreforta neighborhood. 16 others were injured. 

Five years after, a trial date still hasn't been set. The prosecutor's office requested in November 2023 a total of eleven years of prison for each of the three former directors of the firm.  

The directors are accused of negligent manslaughter, operation of the company in inadequate safety conditions and violation of the workers' rights. 

The three defendants in this case are José Luís Morlanes, former general director of IQOXE; Juan Manuel Rodríguez Prats, former plant director; and Gerard Adrio, head of security when the explosion occurred. 

The suit's investigation phase had to be extended due to a lawsuit from the firm Repsol. It argued it had lost €50 million because IQOXE failed to deliver ethylene oxide as a result of the explosion.  

The trial is expected for 2025 or early 2026, the prosecutor's office says. 

Pending appeals 

Two other separate lawsuits related to the explosion are ongoing.  

An environmental case is open to evaluate the pollution consequences of the explosion, in particular investigating potential spills in the sea.  

The prosecutor on the case requests clarification regarding the origin of the toxicology report brought by the police, on which the suit rests upon. 

"I would need to know where they got this data because otherwise, everything else falls apart," the prosecutor says, adding that there is no other "evidence of contamination." 

Another separate case deals with the reactor that exploded. It intends to clarify whether the firm used the U-350 reactor without authorization.  

Both the prosecutor and the defendants filed an appeal, the prosecutor asserting that two other reactors of the plant are "identical" while the defenders argue they hold all authorizations and licenses.  

Another question is whether this constitutes an administrative offence or a potential falsification of documents, which is a crime.  

Both parties are waiting for the court resolutions. 

Safety protocol improvement 

After the explosion, the protocol for chemical explosions has been updated to ensure the sirens activation in order to alert the population when needed.  

"An expert in chemical risks" is coordinating the plan and a technician is now present 24/7, Joan Carles Francès, head of the Civil Defense in Tarragona says. 

Throughout the past five years, 14 sirens and a network of sensors have been installed, and an alert system has been launched to warn the population through mobile phones. 

"In the event of a toxic cloud, we will get the information quickly, we won't have to wait for the arrival of emergency services at the facilities," Francès says. 

Drills have been organized to raise awareness among the population and train for potential confinement.  

Although attendance at training sessions has been low, Francès believes that with the alert system "people would react differently" than five years ago.  

The Federation of neighborhood associations of Tarragona demands an evacuation plan to be put in place, in addition to those measures, in the event of a chemical accident. 

Overall, they condemn the slow progress in this case, call for "tougher" legislation, and ask for more inspections within the chemical sector.