Paris, Apr 10 (AP) 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.

Also Read | Eid-ul-Fitr 2024: Thousands of Professional Beggars Flock to Busy Markets, Shopping Malls and Traffic Signals in Pakistan’s Karachi to Seek Alms in Ramazan.

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.

Also Read | Germany Shocker: Court Sentences Father To 13 Years in Prison for Attempted Murder by Injecting Mercury Into His Daughter’s Foot, Girlfriend Gets 12 Years for Involvement in Crime.

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. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)