Five dead in Paraguay River barge explosion

An explosion ripped through a tank barge on the Paraguay River near Asunción on Saturday morning, killing five workers and critically injuring one. The incident occurred at a mooring in the Nanawa municipality, across the river from the capital's South Costanera. The barge, operated by the prominent shipping company Líneas Panchita G, was reportedly undergoing a degassing process prior to repairs.

According to the General Naval Prefecture (PGN), the empty barge was moored when personnel on board were working. The explosion was powerful enough to be heard and felt for several kilometers. Military personnel from the Navy are involved in the response.

While the exact cause is under investigation, officials suspect that accumulated gases within the tank, a common hazard in vessels that transport fuel, ignited during the degassing operation. The suspicion is that a spark from equipment used during the process ignited these residual fumes, leading to the catastrophic blast.

Naval Prefecture and Merchant Marine Directorate officials are on site to determine the cause of the accident. The investigation will focus on whether safety protocols were followed during the maintenance work on the barge.