At least 1 critically injured in explosion and fire at French oil products factory

PARIS — An explosion followed by a fire Wednesday at a French factory treating dangerous substances left at least one person critically injured, according to local authorities.

The cause of the explosion, which sent a huge cloudburst of gray smoke over the area, is being investigated.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control soon after the explosion at the Saipol oil products factory in the port of Sete, on the Mediterranean coast, the prefecture for the surrounding Herault region said in a statement.

One factory employee was hospitalized in critical condition, and some 200 others were evacuated after the explosion, the prefecture said. Authorities are conducting tests for eventual toxicity in the surrounding air and soil.

The explosion occurred in a warehouse used for making fuel from grains while it was closed for maintenance, the statement said.

The plant is part of a European system called Seveso that requires facilities that handle dangerous substances to have additional safety measures.