Three die in French blast

Three die in French blast

Grieving relatives gathered at the factory

At least three workers at an explosives factory in northern France have been killed in a blast which ripped through the plant early on Thursday.

A fourth person was believed to be missing.

Homes and shops around the Nitrochimie factory, near Billy-Berclau in the northern Pas-de-Calais region, were also damaged in the blast.

Local officials ruled out an attack, stressing that the blast appeared to be the result of an industrial accident.

The cause had been traced to a workshop making cartridges which contained flammable material, the officials said.

The factory produces highly flammable chemicals including ammonium nitrate and nitroglycerine.

The blast occurred shortly after the factory opened at 0615 local time (0515GMT).

It is thought two members of staff were working with dynamite at the time. Both of them died, along with a third worker.

A 25-year-old man thought to have been in the building with them is missing.

'High risk'

The blast started a fire, which was quickly brought under control by firefighters. There was not thought to be any risk to the environment.

The Nitrochimie plant produces more than 12,000 tonnes of explosives a year.

It is officially classified as a high-risk site, meaning it must take extra safety measures. There are more than 350 such sites in France.

An explosion at a chemical factory in Toulouse in September 2001 left 30 people dead and hundreds injured.