Nine killed in blast at explosives plant in southern Brazil

A powerful pre-dawn explosion at an explosives factory in southern Brazil killed nine workers and injured seven others on August 12, shattering windows and damaging homes more than a kilometre away, authorities said.

The blast occurred at around 6:00 am local time (09:00 GMT) at the Enaex Brasil plant in Quatro Barras, part of the metropolitan area of Paraná state capital Curitiba. Images released by the Paraná fire department showed a vast area reduced to debris, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

“There is no longer any hope of finding survivors among the nine people who were at that location,” said Colonel Hudson, secretary of public security in Paraná. Security forces, assisted by search dogs, combed the site in the hours after the accident.

Governor Ratinho Júnior expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

“They were workers, men and women, who had stories tied to Paraná. My solidarity to all their families and friends. This is a sad day in the history of our State,” he wrote on X.

Lamento profundamente os nove óbitos registrados na explosão em Quatro Barras nesta terça-feira (12), confirmados no começo da noite.

— @ratinho_jr (@ratinho_jr) August 12, 2025

Fire department spokeswoman Luisiana Guimaraes described the scale of destruction.

“The area of the explosion was badly destroyed. Within a radius of approximately 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles], we have houses that were hit, with broken windows, damaged structures, and a huge shock wave,” she said.

Enaex Brasil executives told reporters the cause of the accident is under investigation. The company has offered psychological support to victims and their families.

According to local authorities, residents of several nearby towns reported hearing the blast. Six men and three women were among those killed.

By Sabina Mammadli