BRAZIL – Blast at Rhodia facility triggers emergency response
An explosion followed by a fire struck the Rhodia industrial site in Paulínia on Saturday afternoon (21), sending up a thick column of black smoke and alarming residents across the Campinas Metropolitan Region.
According to the city’s Civil Defense, the incident began when a reactor exploded inside the plant’s phenol production unit. The smoke was visible from several nearby cities, drawing widespread attention.
Emergency teams from Paulínia, Cosmópolis, and neighboring municipalities were deployed to the scene, working alongside the company’s internal brigades. The response was coordinated with support from the Integrated Emergency Network (Rinem) and the Mutual Aid Plan (PAM).
The flames were brought under control approximately one hour after they started. Crews have since remained at the site to carry out cooling operations and monitor the area to prevent the fire from reigniting.
In an official statement, Rhodia said the incident was caused by an unexpected external power outage, which led to a small fire that was quickly contained. The company emphasized that no injuries were reported and that there was no environmental impact or harm to surrounding communities.
“The causes of the incident are still under investigation. At this point, the situation has been resolved, and teams are focused on follow-up procedures and monitoring,” the company said.
Rhodia also stated that it is assessing the condition of its facilities to ensure a safe resumption of operations.