On the evening of April twenty second, thick black smoke and flames emanating from the Repsol refinery in Escombreras set alarms off in Cartagena and its surrounding towns. Within just ninety minutes, the 112 Emergency Coordination Centre received sixty five calls from concerned residents. The local fire department also experienced a surge in inquiries from worried callers who believed there was a fire at the refinery.

Emergency operators reassured the public that the smoke was not a cause for concern. Fire crews clarified that the smoke was part of a controlled process called flaring, which is used to safely burn off excess fuel during routine operations. This flaring was triggered by a temporary shutdown of the refinery.

According to a Repsol spokesperson, the incident was linked to an external power outage that occurred around seven o’clock in the evening, causing the shutdown of units at the facility. They confirmed that all security and control systems functioned correctly during the incident and that local authorities were swiftly informed to keep the community updated.

Currently, on-site teams from Repsol are working diligently to restore the affected units back online and resume normal operations. The energy company has assured residents that safety remains a top priority while addressing the issue.