Smoke billowing from Repsol factory sparks panic in Cartagena
Two dense columns of black smoke were visible in Cartagena and nearby towns
Black smoke and flames rising from the chimneys of the Repsol refinery in Escombreras set off alarm bells across Cartagena and surrounding towns on Tuesday evening, April 22. Within just 90 minutes, the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre received 65 calls from concerned residents, with the city’s Fire Department fielding a similar wave of panicked inquiries.
Worried callers reported what appeared to be a fire at the refinery, but emergency operators were quick to reassure the public. Fire crews explained that the smoke was the result of flaring—a routine procedure used to safely burn off excess fuel—triggered by a temporary shutdown.
Te dicen que cambies de coche para entrar en Zona de Bajas Emisiones y @Repsol tirando mierda sobre cartagena. pic.twitter.com/Oghld7wSoq
— Toni2000 (@Toniinot74) April 22, 2025
According to Repsol, the incident was caused by an external power outage.
"At 7pm this afternoon, there was a power outage external to the Cartagena industrial complex, which resulted in the shutdown of units. This incident led to flare incidents. All security and control systems at the facility have been functioning correctly," a company spokesperson explained.
The energy company also confirmed it had promptly informed the 112 Emergency Centre, local authorities and neighbourhood associations to keep the community in the loop.
On-site teams are currently working to bring the affected units back online and resume normal operations.
Also of interest: Rain and high temperatures bring swarms of mosquitoes to Murcia
Image: Toni2000 via X
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