[kellyhound]

Two people were injured following a powerful explosion of a boiler at an African palm oil extraction factory in Ecuador.

Preliminary assessments by emergency services indicate that the blast occurred while an oil boiler was in operation. It was triggered by a chemical or gas leak combined with improper handling of systems or tanks subjected to high pressure.

A 20-year-old worker suffered second-degree burns and severe trauma that required the emergency amputation of one of his feet and a 26-year-old worker sustained multiple burns across his body.