A second victim has died from injuries sustained in a boiler explosion at the Montebello distillery in Petit-Bourg, Guadeloupe, local prosecutors confirmed on Sunday.
The blast occurred early Friday morning, July 24, 2026. Pointe-a-Pitre deputy prosecutor Alexandra Onfray confirmed the second death to Agence France-Presse.
The deceased was a 29-year-old man who served as the research and development production manager at the facility for two years.
He was among five people severely injured and transported to CHU de la Guadeloupe hospital immediately after the explosion.
One person died at the scene. Two others remain in critical condition.
Medical professionals continue to monitor the surviving critical patient.
“As it stands, no medical elements allow us to say whether the other individual whose prognosis is life-threatening is out of danger,” Onfray said.
Authorities have opened a formal investigation into involuntary manslaughter and workplace injuries.
Judicial investigators and state technical experts are inspecting the site, which operates as a classified industrial facility for environmental protection.
