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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 15 January 2020

Smoke rise following a big explosion at an industrial hub near
the port city of Tarragona, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020.
Associated Press
Spain: Chemical plant

explosion kills 1, injures at

least 9

ARITZ PARRA and CIARAN called the blast a "chemi-
GILES cal accident" and initially
Associated Press warned people in parts of In this file picture taken on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, Marian Kocner the suspected mastermind in
MADRID (AP) — A massive the city of just over 130,000 the slaying of an investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, who were
explosion at a petrochemi- and in nearby towns to re- shot dead in their home on Feb. 21, 2018, is escorted by armed police officers from a courtroom
cal plant in northeastern frain from going outside as after a trial session in Pezinok, Slovakia.
Spain on Tuesday killed one preventive measures. Associated Press
person and injured at least The confinement measures
nine others, three seriously, were lifted and two roads Middleman in killing of Slovak journalist
regional authorities said. that had been cordoned
port city of Tarragona, three hours after the eve- points finger
A press spokesman for the off were reopened some
where the plant is located, ning blast. BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A man who brought down the country's government.
said a preliminary investi- Interior department chief has admitted to arranging the murder of But he made an agreement to cooperate
gation indicated the force Miquel Buch tweeted that an investigative journalist and his fiancee with prosecutors in exchange for a lower
of the blast killed an indi- the fire was not toxic but he in Slovakia told a court Tuesday that he sentence.
vidual in a nearby neigh- advised residents to remain did so at the behest of local businessman He has already received a 15-year prison
borhood. inside. The blast took place Marian Kocner. term on Dec 30.
The spokesman said he on the premises of Iqoxe, Zoltan Andrusko told a court in the town The four defendants still standing trial face
had no further details. He according to a woman of Pezinok, north of the capital Bratislava, potential prison sentences of 25 years to
spoke on condition of ano- who answered the phone that he was the middleman "at the request life. The man suspected of shooting the
nymity in keeping with City at the company and who of Mr. Kocner." Kocner, who denies any couple pleaded guilty on Monday. The
Hall regulations. quickly hung up the phone involvement in the slaying, had allegedly other three defendants, including Koc-
The regional fire service without giving her name. threatened Jan Kuciak following publica- ner, have all pleaded not guilty to murder
tweeted that the man had According to the compa- tion of a story about him. charges.
died in a building affected ny's website, Iqoxe is Spain's "I am terribly sorry about what happened," Kuciak was shot in the chest and Kusnirova
by the blast. They said one sole producer of ethylene Andrusko said. "It's impossible to fix it but I was shot in the head at their home in the
other person was injured in oxide, a chemical com- will try to do all I can to set things right," town of Velka Maca, east of Bratislava, on
the building. pound used for making Andrusko confirmed the prosecution's Feb. 21, 2018. Both were aged 27.
The interior minister of detergents, solvents and claim a total of 70,000 euros ($77,800) was The killings triggered major street protests
Spain's Catalonia region other products, as well as paid, 50,000 of which in cash and the re- and a political crisis that led to the previ-
said eight workers at the glycol, one of the main raw maining 20,000 to forgive a debt. ous government's collapse. Kuciak had
factory were injured, three materials in the production Andrusko was among the original five sus- been also investigating possible govern-
seriously, and one person of plastics. pects charged in relation to the alleged ment corruption.
remained missing. Local residents posted vid- contract killing of Jan Kuciak and Martina It is not clear when a verdict might be
Emergency services said eos showing the aftermath Kusnirova in Feb. 2018 that subsequently issued.q
that two of the injured of the blast, with flames
were being treated for ma- and a big column of black
jor burns. smoke emerging from an
The civil protection agen- area dotted with big indus- linda.reijnders@cspnv.com
cy in the Catalonia region trial tanks.q