Police raid two premises of IQOXE chemical company

Firm whose plant exploded on Tuesday has been fined four times in recent years, three for failing health and safety standards

Catalan police at the PlastiVerd company in El Prat de Llobregat, January 16, 2020 (by Àlex Recolons)
Catalan police at the PlastiVerd company in El Prat de Llobregat, January 16, 2020 (by Àlex Recolons) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

January 16, 2020 06:48 PM

Police raided two premises of the IQOXE chemical company on Thursday afternoon, as part of the investigation into the explosion at the firm's plant in La Canonja on Tuesday evening.

The Tarragona court investigating the accident that left three people dead ordered officers to search the company's premises in La Canonja and Prat de Llobregat.

According to the labor department, the fines that had been issued to the chemical company were for between 2,000 and 8,000 euros.

The department also said it had opened two inquiries into IQOXE, and would begin an in-depth investigation into the explosion once the building is declared safe to enter.

The mayor of Tarragona, Pau Ricomà, said that "more important than the company's earnings was the safety of employees and members of the public."