Newsroom
A devastating explosion followed by a major fire tore through a food-processing factory in Trikala in the early hours of Monday, leaving three female employees dead, two still missing, and eight others hospitalized.
The incident occurred shortly before 4:00 a.m. at the biscuit manufacturing plant Violanta, located on the Trikala–Karditsa national road. At the time of the explosion, the factory was operating normally, as it runs on a 24-hour shift, with 13 employees on site.
According to authorities, a powerful explosion was reported moments before the fire broke out, causing the facility to be rapidly engulfed in flames. Eight workers managed to escape the building and were transported to Trikala General Hospital for treatment. Five female employees were initially reported missing.
Later in the morning, rescue crews discovered three bodies inside the factory, confirming the deaths of three of the missing workers. Intense concern remains for the fate of the remaining two employees who are still unaccounted for.
Firefighting forces responded immediately, with 22 firefighters and nine vehicles arriving at the scene. As the blaze spread uncontrollably, reinforcements were deployed after 6:00 a.m., bringing the total response to 40 firefighters and 13 fire engines. Heavy machinery and water tankers provided by local authorities have also been used in the firefighting and debris-clearing efforts.
Special Disaster Response Units (EMAK) are operating at the site, including a team dispatched from Lamia, while the Arson Crimes Investigation Directorate has been ordered to investigate the cause of the explosion and subsequent fire, which remains unknown.
Rescue and investigation operations are ongoing amid fears that conditions inside the factory continue to hamper access and visibility.
With information from trikalaola.gr and ertnews.gr.
