A tragic incident shook the morning of this Wednesday in an industrial warehouse in the Salinetas industrial park, in Telde, Gran Canaria. A 35-year-old worker, identified as Nico Rodríguez, died after being thrown by an explosion while performing vertical work anchored to a fuel tank. Three other employees of the subcontracted company Nervión Industries were injured, two of them seriously, and remained hanging from a rope for almost an hour until they were rescued.
The events occurred around midday, during routine maintenance tasks. Preliminary investigations suggest that a blast wave was generated inside the tank, which was supposedly empty, and the safety systems failed to contain it. Consequently, the tank's dome was ejected, causing the fatal fall of one of the operators and leaving two others suspended in the air.
Alarms were raised minutes later when other workers reported a strong explosion and black smoke emanating from one of the tanks. The Emergency and Safety Coordination Center (Cecoes) 112 immediately activated emergency services. Firefighters, Local Police of Telde, National Police, Civil Protection, and paramedics from the Canary Emergency Service (SUC) quickly arrived at the scene.
Firefighters confirmed the stability of the tanks after an initial inspection, dispelling fears of further explosions. However, they could do nothing to save the life of the worker who fell to the ground. One of the operators who remained hanging, unconscious, also caused great concern, although his nearby colleague seemed to be responsive.
The mayor of Telde, Juan Antonio Peña, described the incident as something "that was not under the control of these workers." Firefighters carried out complex high-altitude rescue maneuvers to bring down the two injured operators. The first, who was conscious, suffered minor injuries. The second, although unconscious, was still breathing and was transferred along with his colleague to the Negrín Hospital and the Insular University Hospital of Gran Canaria. A third worker with minor injuries was treated without requiring hospitalization.
The deceased was a resident of Telde and worked for a subcontractor of the company Disa. Relatives of the operator arrived at the scene, visibly distressed. The Judicial Police initiated the investigation at the facilities, while awaiting the body's release.
The communications director for the Disa group, Sara Mateos, assured that the emergency was "controlled" and that the investigation into the causes would take place at a later stage. She confirmed that the usual protocol is the immediate evacuation of the facilities and that the victims were carrying out "routine maintenance work."
Given the seriousness of the incident, the Telde City Council requested the public to avoid the area to facilitate access for emergency vehicles and to remain calm. The Government of the Canary Islands declared an alert and activated the Special External Emergency Plan for the risk of serious accidents, given the "severely damaged" structure of the tank.
Mayor Juan Antonio Peña expressed his deep regret over the death and extended his support to the injured and their families, highlighting the consternation in the local community. The company Disa issued a statement wishing the injured a speedy recovery and assuring its full cooperation with the investigators.
