UPI reports Noticias Caracol cameraman Carlos Espinoza just happened to be filming near the factory in Granada, 185 km (115 miles) south of the capital Bogotá, when a massive explosion blew him off his feet.
Amazingly, Espinoza managed to continue filming while beating a hasty retreat as flaming pyrotechnic projectiles rained down around him. Fireworks can still be seen and heard exploding two minutes after the initial blast.
The Telegraph reports fire trucks rushed to the scene from nearby cities to fight the blaze. A nearby highway was closed for hours in both directions, snarling traffic and fraying the nerves of motorists returning from New Years celebrations in the capital. Twitter photos showed snaking lines of traffic a significant distant from the blast site.
There were at least two injuries. A passing driver was struck by shrapnel, but his wounds were described as “superficial.”
In addition to the main factory building, five gunpowder storage warehouses were also destroyed. The Associated Press reports 17 homes were damaged by the explosion.
Provincial Gov. Alvaro Cruz told reporters that an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the explosion.
