SPANISH authorities lifted restrictions for 60,000 people yesterday, following a chemical explosion.

The blast had sent a large, toxic orange cloud floating above six towns.

Catalonia’s regional civil protection department ended the alert about 15 hours after the accident in Igualada, when products being delivered to a warehouse were accidentally mixed and exploded.

The blast had prompted authorities to order the inhabitants of Igualada and five surrounding towns to stay inside and roads were closed.

The restrictions were lifted for most people after a few hours, but the authorities kept in place until early morning an order for the elderly, children, pregnant women and people with lung problems to stay inside.

Igualada Mayor Marc Castells said human error had apparently caused the accident at a chemical plant warehouse.

The civil protection department said that the chemicals included nitric acid and ferric chloride, which caused the cloud’s bright orange colour.