C.Vale silo in Palotina suffers explosion

C.Vale reported that last Wednesday, July 26th, at 16:50 pm, a major accident hit its central grain reception unit in Palotina, western Paraná, due to causes not yet identified.

At the moment, the priority is focused on mobilizing all the efforts and resources necessary to preserve the integrity of the employees affected by the incident and support the relatives of the possible victims affected.

Fire department teams worked all night at the explosion site. Its latest update indicates a total of seven confirmed deaths, located and removed from the rubble. Twelve other victims were taken to hospitals in the region.

The cooperative's occupational safety teams are helping with the work and providing assistance to the families of the victims.

ATUALIZAÇÃO 27/07/2023 (17H30): The fire department and C.Vale continue to search for the last person missing in the explosion of the silos at the cooperative's grain unit. So far, the IML has only released the body of Saulo da Rocha Batista, aged 53, for funeral ceremonies. He had worked as an operational assistant at C.Vale since August 2006; He leaves his wife Maria Aparecida and a son, Vitor, aged 27. The wake is taking place at the Bom Jesus funeral home, in Palotina. Burial scheduled for tomorrow, at a time to be determined. The bodies of the other seven victims are awaiting release from the scientific police.

ATUALIZAÇÃO 28/07/2023 (8h30): The search continues for the body of the last missing person. The seven Haitian workers who were victims of the accident are being mourned collectively at the Umesp Gymnasium, in the central area of ​​the municipality. Brazilian Saulo da Rocha Batista will be buried at 10am this Friday in Palotina. C.Vale reported the names of the victims:

• Alfred Lesperance, 44 years old

• Donald St Cyr, aged 24

• Eugenio Meteleus, 52 years old

• Jean Michee Joseph, aged 29

• Jean Ronald Calix, aged 27

• Louis Michelet, aged 41

• Reginald Gefrard, aged 30

• Saulo da Rocha Batista, 53 years old

UPDATE 28/07/2023 (12pm): C.Vale informs that it provides hospital monitoring, support for family members, availability of transport for relatives of victims who are hospitalized in hospitals in other municipalities, support and contact with public social assistance services and provision of doctors and nurses. Activities in the other units of the cooperative continue normally. 

UPDATE (31.07.2023, 15pm) - Firefighters found, at 14:40 pm today, the body of Wicken Celestin, 55 years old. The president of C.Vale, Alfredo Lang, said that the rescue of the last victim was completed with pain and that the explosion hit the heart of the cooperative. He assured that, from now on, C.Vale will focus on helping authorities identify the causes of the accident.