Chemical Plant Explosion in Eastern France Claims Two Lives, Hospitalizes Seven, Triggers Evacuation, Toxic Alert

Strasbourg, France— An explosion ripped through a chemical plant in eastern France Thursday, killing two workers and hospitalizing seven others as flames and a toxic plume forced nearby residents to shelter indoors.

The blast hit at 8:45 a.m. local time at a specialty chemicals facility in the industrial zone of Tavaux, Jura department, near the Swiss border, according to Le Figaro and local prefecture officials. The explosion occurred in a reactor unit handling solvents, triggering a secondary fire that sent thick black smoke over the valley. Windows shattered up to a kilometer away.

Two workers inside the unit were killed instantly, the prefecture said. Seven others were injured, three with severe burns and chemical inhalation. They were taken to hospitals in Dole and Besancon, where two were placed in intensive care. About 80 firefighters battled the blaze, using foam to suppress chemical flames.

"We heard a massive detonation, then the ground shook," a worker at a neighboring factory told Reuters. "We saw a fireball, then smoke. We were ordered inside, close all windows. The smell was strong, chemical."

Authorities activated the internal emergency plan and ordered a shelter-in-place for residents within a three-kilometer radius, including two villages and an elementary school where 120 children were kept inside with windows sealed. Air monitoring teams were deployed to check for toxic compounds. The prefecture said initial readings showed elevated volatile organic compounds but below acute danger thresholds.

The plant, owned by a French-German chemical group, produces intermediates for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. It has been flagged twice in the past three years for safety lapses, according to inspection records obtained by local media, including faulty pressure valves and inadequate staff training. The company said it would cooperate with investigators.

France's industrial safety agency, DREAL, said it was sending inspectors to determine the cause. Early focus was on a runaway reaction in a batch reactor, a known risk when cooling fails. Workers said an alarm had sounded minutes before the blast, but the evacuation was not complete.

Environmental groups warned of soil and water contamination as firefighting runoff entered a nearby canal that feeds the Doubs River. The prefecture said booms were placed to contain the flow and that water samples were being taken.

By late afternoon, the fire was contained but not fully extinguished. The shelter order remained in place, with residents told not to drink well water.

Investigators in protective suits entered the blast zone at dusk to photograph the reactor vessel, which had been torn open.

The plant's siren was still wailing.