----------------------------------------------

An oil field exploded in Basra Iraq [Iraq Oil Report ; Published September 20, 2011]; Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

----------------------------------------------

List of comment about gas explosion, in order of posted time; as of 2011-09-01

 

1) SOMERVILLE, Ohio, US; "Investigation continues in house collapse"

2) BAKERSFIELD, Calif. US; "Bakersfield resident hurt in natural gas explosion"

3) Pompton Lakes, NJ, US; "Update: Suspected gas explosion levels home in Pompton Lakes [raw video]"

4) Brantford, Ontario, Canada; "Natural gas explosion levelled Brantford house: fire marshal"

5) Warren, MI, US; "City of Warren Home Explosion Underscores Need for Natural Gas Safety"

6) Castleford, West Yorkshire, UK; "Dramatic footage shows huge gas explosion at Yorkshire home"

7) Warren Park, Harare, Zimbabwe; "2 seriously injured in Warren Park gas explosion"

8) Logan City, south of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia; "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house"

9) Herscher, IL, US; Douglasville, GA, US; "This Week In Natural Gas Leaks and Explosions – Aug. 22, 2011"

10) "Seven children killed in gas explosion at house" [See 8)]

11) Lakeview, MI, US; "Explosion inside Lakeview house causes fire, couple escapes with minor injuries"

12) Newborough, Victoria, Australia; "Gas blast destroys Newborough garage"

13) Cato, Montcalm, MI, US; "Couple escapes house explosion"

14) Glenrock, Converse, WY, US; "Oilfield explosion claims three"

15) St. Augustine, Fla, US; "Gas Station Explosion Site in St. Augustine now 'Stable'"

 

----------------------------------------------

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

We'll be seeing an uptick in unusual home and business gas explosions and I'm trying to locate specific ZT on the matter.  Below is a refresher for the many gas related news articles.

http://zetatalk5.com/index/blog0214.htm

SOZT

Fault lines, when adjusting, do not just rip apart one day during a dramatic earthquake. They most often creep. Laying gas lines along or across a fault line is asking for an accident of this sort. Fault lines are also seldom so clearly delineated that one can go a mile in this or that direction and avoid their action. Where a slip-slide fault such as the San Andreas will often leave a clear line on the surface, this is only the surface action, not what occurs in the rock layers on either side which can fracture for a long way to either side during any movement. The gas company, or the age of the pipes, will be faulted but in truth the finger should be pointed in many directions. The public, who insist on living at such a scenic spot, is to blame. Officials, who zoned for housing are to blame. The public utility company, for allowing gas lines in the area, is to blame. But this will change nothing, while man continues to live on the San Andreas, even as it awakens. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/18sp2010.htm

SOZT

The danger from radon gas will not be increased as a result of the pole shift. Radon gas is emitted by rock containing uranium, which is degrading. In normal circumstances, where air can circulate, it is disbursed rapidly as is any methane created by decay of organic material. The danger from these gasses comes from confinement - being trapped in a mine, a basement, or beneath the permafrost. The dangers are well known. For methane, it is explosions. An accumulation of methane gas can be identified by the smell of rotten eggs, or as some have described it, dirty socks or cabbage soup. For radon gas the danger is lung cancer, from the continual exposure to the radioactive air. Radon gas is odorless, and cannot be detected except by specialized equipment not in the hands of the average person.

In that the pole shift, or the Earth changes preceding the pole shift, can fracture rock and release pockets of either gas, survivors should be cautious about huddling in bunkers. You are safer out in the open air, or in a trench you have dug that will allow the pole shift winds to pass over you, but nothing to fall on and crush you. The fact that both methane gas and radon gas can accumulate in the bunkers of the elite is one of the reasons we have stated that they have dug their own graves. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/12mr2011.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT

Anyone watching the news, for instance the news on the San Bruno explosion in a distribution line close to the San Andreas Fault line, knows that gas in any form is a danger. Oil and gas refineries explode when rigid piping cracks. Oil or gas wells explode when the ground around them moves. And the gas distribution lines running under cities are no exception. They likewise will explode. Gas lines, whether along the street or within a home, are rigid. In some cases automatic shutoff valves can limit the amount of gas available for an explosion by sensing a drop in pressure, but this is always after the fact. The explosion has already occurred. Utilizing gas on a planet prone to earthquakes was a mistake to begin with, but man never thinks of the consequences when striving for modern conveniences. We have advised turning off the gas at the street, though when the street explodes and your neighbor's homes are on fire you are not likely to escape the holocaust. A better alternative is to live in an area where gas is not available, as in your rural safe location where you will be doing a form of camping while gardening. A campfire at night, for cooking and washing and a bit of friendly light before bed. Nothing explosive. EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/ning/02oc2010.htm

 

* Comment by Starr DiGiacomo

SOZT Answer: It is no accident that the New Madrid fault lies under the Mississippi River near Memphis, as rivers form in lowlands created when land pulls apart, separating the rock fingers and weakening support for the land. Thus, the Ohio River bed also is an indication of where rock fingers will pull apart. Two adjustments in Kentucky, a day apart, are not an accident, but an indication of the speed at which the stretch zone is starting to adjust. Rail lines are frequently an early harbinger of such adjustments, as they run long distances, whereas structures within cities, such as tall buildings, take up relatively little space and have a small footprint. Our warning that imploding cities will be experienced, before the hour of the shift, are in this regard. Be warmed, it will not just be your rail lines and gas and water mains that will shatter and be pulled apart during the stretch. The foundations of your tall buildings will likewise be vulnerable.EOZT

http://www.zetatalk5.com/newsletr/issue008.htm

----------------------------------------------

[Original post on January 20, 2011]

Original title: Gas explosion kills 1, injures 5 in Philadelphia

 

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/19/pennsylvania.gas.explosion/index.h...

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • The explosion occurred in Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood
  • The blast killed one utilities worker and injured five other people
  • Some of the injuries are serious

(CNN) -- A gas main explosion in Philadelphia Tuesday evening killed one utilities worker and injured five other people, a fire department official said.

Philadelphia Gas Works employees were responding to a gas main break in the city's Tacony neighborhood when the explosion occurred, fire department spokesman Jim Smith said.

"They were trying to control it and found a source of ignition," according to Smith, who said four PGW employees and a firefighter were among the injured. He said some of the gas workers' injuries were serious.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-explosion-philadelphia-...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video/caught-on-tape-gas-main-explodes-126...

Views: 109248

Comment

You need to be a member of Earth Changes and the Pole Shift to add comments!

Join Earth Changes and the Pole Shift

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on December 11, 2013 at 1:38am

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/underground-vault-explodes-fire...

Posted: 12:51 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013

Underground pipeline explodes into fireball in Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif. — 

Crews have shut off the flow of gas to a 4-inch pipeline that ruptured in a neighborhood in the Oakland hills Tuesday morning, sparking an underground fire that burned for hours and caused the evacuation of nearby homes.

The one-alarm fire was reported at Golf Links Road and Fontaine Street at 8:24 a.m., Oakland fire Battalion Chief Lisa Baker said.

Flames could be seen coming up through cracks in the roadway. No injuries were reported.

Six homes were evacuated, and residents of other homes nearby were advised to shelter in place, Baker said. A hazardous materials team was called to the scene.

PG&E crews shut off the flow of gas at 11:37 a.m.

James Gouig, 36, who lives at that intersection with his cousin, said he was at home when he heard a knock at the front door.

At first he was annoyed because he thought it was a salesperson, he said. However, the person at the door turned out to be a neighbor telling him his front lawn was on fire.

He looked out and saw fire burning in an odd formation that consisted of straight lines, he said.

"It didn't look right, so I called 911," he said.

Gouig said it was a scary experience.

"I started thinking about the San Bruno situation and I started freaking out," he said, referring to the September 2010 underground pipeline explosion that killed eight people in that city.

He said his next thought was what to grab from his home before fleeing; he ended up just taking his iPhone.

Gouig told his story to reporters as he waited to be let back into his home, dressed in sweats and sandals in the chilly morning air.

Initially, he said, he didn't know what was going on and was getting information from friends and family members who were watching the situation unfold on TV.

Battalion Chief Baker said the pressure in the pipeline that ruptured was 50 pounds per square inch -- much less than the nearly 400 pounds per square inch of pressure in the San Bruno pipe that burst.

PG&E spokeswoman Brittany Chord reiterated that there was "much less pressure" involved in Tuesday's incident. She also said the San Bruno pipeline was 36 inches in diameter.

She said crews' first priority was shutting off the flow of gas in the pipeline and making sure everything is safe, and that they would then investigate why it ruptured.

She said shutting off the gas flow took a while because the pipe is located 6 feet underground and crews had to shore up the sides of a trench PG&E workers used to make the repairs.

Some residents' gas service has been interrupted, Chord said.

The intersection is a few blocks away from Interstate Highway 580 near Holy Redeemer College. An employee at the college said operations were normal and no evacuations were ordered at the campus.

Teachers, students and staff at Charles P. Howard Elementary at 8755 Fontaine St. were told by emergency crews to stay indoors, but they were not instructed to evacuate, a school employee said.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on December 9, 2013 at 10:21pm

http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Care-Flight-Called-to-Apparent...

One Hurt in Explosion and Fire at Oil Refinery in Fallon

FALLON, NV - One person has been flown to the burn center at UC Davis after three explosions at the Bango oil refinery in the area of Highway 50 and Bango Road in Fallon.

A resulting fire is mostly extinguished, according to fire crews. Highway 50 in the area was closed to traffic because of hazardous materials fears, but has been reopened.

All employees are accounted for with none missing, according to Churchill County Sheriff Ben Trotter. There are no reports of deaths.

Trotter says the fire may have started when a 24-year-old man working at the plant used a weed burner to heat some lines, but the fire chief says the cause hasn't been determined. The worker using the burner is the person flown to the hospital with burns over almost 60% of his body. He was awake and alert when taken from the scene, but is listed in critical condition.

Three Care Flight helicopters were initially called to the scene, but two were turned back when only one patient needed to be flown.

Bango recycles used oil.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on December 5, 2013 at 7:28pm

http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/local/gas-blast-house-had-no-gas...

This happened last week but the house had no gas going to it.  They're calling it a "chance in a million" incident.  Not sure if it's a methane explosion or a gas line out on the street.  Regardless, it blew up a home. This is why ZetaTalk has been suggesting to people for years to get out of the cities because gas explosions are going to be a huge problem and even though YOU might not have gas at your own house, chances are there's still gas under your feet close by.

Gas blast house had no gas supply

The gas explosion in Bletchley was a “chance in a million” disaster probably caused by mains gas leaking out along sewer pipes.

And the victim who was pulled from the rubble of her kitchen did not even have gas in the house, the Citizen can reveal.

The woman was cooking dinner on Tuesday last week when there was a huge explosion.

Neighbour James Johnson rushed in to find her buried under bricks and debris.

Miraculously she did not suffer any major injury and is this week living elsewhere while her Gairloch Avenue home is still boarded up.

This week Eaton Manor Councillor Alan Webb said: “What was strange was that the lady did not have any gas. Her gas meter was sealed off and all her appliances were electric.”

Southern Gas is still investigating the explosion but the likely cause is understood to be a gas leak in a mains pipe directly outside the house.

It is believed the gas travelled along the waste pipes and had also spread to other parts of the Lakes Estate.

Said Mr Webb: “Residents some streets away noticed a smell of gas. But the fact that the Gairloch Avenue house exploded seems to have been a chance in a million.”

He has praised and thanked Thames Valley Police, South Midlands Ambulance, the Red Cross, Bucks Fire, MK Council officers, and Rescue Southern Gas Networks as well as friends and neighbours who all helped during the crisis.

Comment by Kojima on November 30, 2013 at 3:00am

Natural gas pipeline explosion in Missouri caught on camera [Daily Mail; 29 November, 2013]

* The natural gas pipeline ruptured which caused it to explode and burst into flames visible up to 30 miles away

* The cause of the rupture is still unknown

* The Panhandle Eastern Pipe line company experienced a similar failure in 2008 caused by a rupture due to external corrosion of the pipeline walls

A glowing blaze could be seen for miles in Central Missouri early this morning after a 30 inch natural gas pipeline outside of a compressor station ruptured and exploded.

Captian Donald Sattler of the Sedalia Fire Department told NBC that the blast occurred near the town of Hughesville, Missouri. It exploded at around 1:00 a.m. EST.

There were no injuries in Hughesville, a town which has a population of a few hundred people.

Youtube member Mark Mois posted video footage of the flames online. 

Fox reports that the blaze could be seen up to 30 miles away and that there were evacuations overnight to prevent anyone from getting hurt.

An investigation is currently underway to determine what caused the rupture that led to an explosion.

No one from the Pettis County Sheriff's Department was available for comment as to what may have caused the rupture.

A spokesperson for the Sedalia Fire Department told the Mail Online that the explosion ‘luckily occurred in a field and no one was hurt.’ He said he could see the fire from his home 15 miles away.

This is not the first time The Eastern Pipeline Company experienced failure. In 2008, a pipeline west of Pilot Grove, Missouri exploded after rupturing.

According to a Pipeline Failure Investigation Report, the failure occurred due to pipeline wall thinning caused by external erosion.

The wall loss measured at the rupture surface was 75 per cent of wall thickness.

The report also called for testing employees for drugs and alcohol as a possible contributing factor. They all tested negative.

 The Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company is responsible for operating a 6,500-mile pipeline system that delivers natural gas to Midwest and East Coast markets. 

The flames could be seen flickering up to 30 miles away

Luckily no one was injured in this morning's fire that erupted in a field

Smoke drifts from debris near a fire caused by a natural gas pipeline explosion early today

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 25, 2013 at 5:24pm

Another explosion in China.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-11/25/c_132916368.htm

1 killed, 7 injured in NW China natural gas blast

English.news.cn   2013-11-25 16:06:42

XI'AN, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and seven others injured after a gas blast on Monday morning in the suburbs of Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

The explosion happened at about 6 a.m. in a household on the 25th floor of a high-rise residential building in the northern suburbs of Xi'an, damaging windows and doors of nearby apartments, said rescuers.

One of the family members died at the site. Seven injured people are receiving medical treatment.

More than 170 households in the building have been evacuated.

The explosion is likely to have been caused by a natural gas leak, according to rescuers. A further investigation into the accident is under way.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 24, 2013 at 4:20am

Update to China pipeline explosion

http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/18-000-evacuated-after-pipeline...

18,000 evacuated after pipeline explosion in China kills 47

Beijing: Around 18,000 people were evacuated from a district in east China where an oil pipeline explosion killed 47 people as the largest oil refiner on Saturday apologised for one of the country's worst industrial accidents. 

The blast occurred yesterday in Huangdao district of port city Qingdao when workers were trying to plug a leak after oil from the state-owned pipeline flowed into a municipal pipe network, killing 47 people and injuring 136 others. 

A total of 18,000 people were evacuated from the areas affected by the blast. Students from nearby schools and local residents were evacuated and given masks. 

The latest government report did not, however, state a reason for the evacuation. 

The 176-km pipeline is run by state-owned Sinopec, China's largest oil refiner, and links oil depots in Huangdao with Weifang city, home to a few petrochemical plants. 

Some of the oil had spilled into Jiaozhou Bay through the rainwater pipeline, and about 3,000 square metres of sea water was polluted by oil, said the rescue headquarters. 

Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu apologised for the explosion. In a statement issued today, Fu said he feels greatly grieved by the huge losses of life and property. He apologised to people of Qingdao and the country. 

He said Sinopec will conduct rescue work at all costs and cooperate with the investigation team dispatched by the central government, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. 

Barricades running 3,000 metres long and 10 tons of dispersant are being used to clean up spills in the sea. 22 oil-clearing vessels, 10 fishing boats and six patrolling vessels have been dispatched, Xinhua reported, quoting local officials. 

Water, gas and electricity were cut off in parts of the district after the blast. 40,000 servings of free food were distributed for breakfast and lunch for those affected. 

The local government distributed 2,000 candles to residents in Huangdao after the explosion and has provided water for local residents since last night. 

So far, electricity has been restored in all but two communities in the district, the local government said. 

The series of explosions left cracks in the streets, the longest of which was about 1.5 km. Fires and explosions also occurred on the polluted sea waters at the entrance to the bay. 

----------------------------------------------------

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-onli...

18,000 evacuated after pipeline explosion in China
 
November 24, 2013
 BEIJING  - Some 18,000 people were evacuated from a Chinese coastal city after an oil pipeline explosion killed at least 47 people and sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky, a local government report said Saturday.
The Friday morning blast in Qingdao ripped roads apart, pictures showed, while leaving many sections of the city cut off from utilities.
The latest government report Saturday did not explicitly state a reason for the evacuation, mention its timing, or whether people had been able to return to their homes. But, according to official media, students from nearby schools and local residents were handed out masks over fears of possible toxic emissions.
The Global Times later reported: “Environmental monitoring shows that the concentration of toxic materials is within national standards”.
The impact of the blast disrupted the supply of water, gas and electricity in parts of the city, with the government distributing 2,000 candles on Friday night.
Authorities also provided 40,000 servings of free food for breakfast and lunch on Saturday.
Electricity has now been restored in all but two communities in the district, the local government said.
The pipeline, run by state-owned oil giant Sinopec, sprang a leak early Friday and exploded several hours later as workers sought to repair it, the Qingdao municipal government said in its verified account on Sina Weibo, a Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu told state television on Saturday: “(We) are deeply grieved, we express our deep condolences for the dead, our support to their families ... and our apologies to the whole country.
“(We will) find out the accident’s causes as soon as possible and give a reasonable explanation to everyone.”
Sinopec said that the pipeline, which was put into service in 1986, was 248 kilometres (154 miles) long and carried some 10 million tonnes of oil per year.
Authorities on Saturday also turned their efforts to containing the oil spill as it spread out into the sea over an area covering 3,000 square metres.
Oil booms and 22 clean-up ships were deployed in the zone, tasked with spraying 10 tonnes of oil dispersants, reported the Xinhua news agency quoting local officials.
China has a very poor record on industrial safety as lax law enforcement and corruption enables business owners to cut corners or offer bribes to evade standards.
Around 28,000 people were killed or went missing in workplace accidents in the first half of this year, state media have reported.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 23, 2013 at 4:25am

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e8_1385129025

Pipeline explosion rips off road surface of whole street, killing 35

The gas was ignited when people were doing maintenance work.

 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/china/Oil-pipeline-blasts-...

Added: 13 hours ago  
By: Lake8737 
In:
 WTF 
Tags: chinachinesegasexplosion
Location: QingdaoShandongChina (load item map) 
Read more at http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5e8_1385129025#vFBVzh8p8j0XjTxQ.99

Sinopec oil pipeline blast kills 35 in eastern China

BEIJING Fri Nov 22, 2013 12:08pm EST

A man stands next to an overturned car on a street damaged by an explosion at a Sinopec Corp oil pipeline in Qingdao, Shandong province November 22, 2013. REUTERS/China Daily

1 OF 6. A man stands next to an overturned car on a street damaged by an explosion at a Sinopec Corp oil pipeline in Qingdao, Shandong province November 22, 2013.

CREDIT: REUTERS/CHINA DAILY

(Reuters) - An explosion in a Sinopec Corp oil pipeline killed 35 people in Qingdao in easternChina on Friday, causing a blaze that took several hours to bring under control and halting operations at a major oil port, media and ship brokers said.

Qingdao is one of China's largest crude oil import terminals, supplying at least two major Sinopec refineries -- the Qingdao plant and Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Corp -- as well as many small, independent refineries.

A Chinese trader said the explosion would disrupt crude flows into China as the blast involved a major pipeline supplying several refineries.

 
 

The explosion in the underground pipeline caused a huge hole to appear in the roadway above and state television showed a truck that had fallen into it, with a residential apartment block in the background.

President Xi Jinping called on local authorities to "spare no effort to rescue the injured and strengthen safety to eradicate such incidents", state news agency Xinhua said.

The Huangdao oil terminal in Qingdao had stopped operations, ship brokers and a port official said.

The local government said on its microblog that the blast occurred at 10:30 a.m. (0230 GMT) as workers were trying to repair leaks in the pipeline. It said oil had spilled into the port, which had also caught fire.

However, a port official said: "The port was not affected by the pipeline blast, but tankers were told to sail away from the port as a safety precaution."

Sinopec confirmed on its microblog that the explosion was caused by a leak in the Huangwei crude oil pipeline. It said the fire was put out at 1 p.m.

State television CCTV, which gave the figure of 35 dead, said 166 people were injured.

"Early investigations showed the spilled oil flowed into the municipal grid, which caused the explosion," the local government said, giving no further details about the grid.

SEA POLLUTION

It said the oil spill had spread across 3,000 square meters of sea water.

Two pipelines at state oil giant PetroChina's storage site in Dalian exploded in 2010, causing a big oil spill and disrupting crude supply and oil product exports at its refineries for weeks.

A witness in the city said there was a power cut in the area lasting for about two hours after the blast.

The China International Marine Containers (CIMC) factory located nearby closed for a period to rehouse about 500 workers whose dormitories had been damaged.

"Ambulances were still operating after 1 p.m. Glass windows in our dormitories were broken. It's terrifying," said worker Zhao Kai.

Sinopec officials could not immediately be reached for comment and it was unclear if there was any impact on the 240,000-barrel-per-day Sinopec Qingdao refinery, which receives imported crude oil cargoes from Huangdao port.

The affected crude oil pipeline connects Huangdao to the city of Weifang in the same province, Shandong.



Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 23, 2013 at 3:32am

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ea05adaabbff4cee879b9fc3d0d58...

Tank battery explosion in Jonah gas field in western Wyoming injures 5 workers, 1 critically

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS  
November 22, 2013 - 7:50 pm EST

PINEDALE, Wyoming — An explosion in a western Wyoming gas field has injured five workers, one of them critically.

Encana officials say the cause isn't known, but contract workers were welding at the time in the Jonah gas field. Five of six gas condensate tanks exploded at the well site around 10:20 a.m. Friday.

The Sublette County Sheriff's Office says the worker in critical condition was taken to a hospital in Salt Lake City. Another worker in serious condition was taken to Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Two other workers were taken to hospitals in what doctors described as stable condition. Another worker was treated in Pinedale and released.

Encana officials say federal safety investigators will be on site this weekend.

The Jonah field 35 miles south of Pinedale is the seventh-biggest U.S. gas field.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 21, 2013 at 6:35pm

http://agmetalminer.com/2013/11/21/gold-mine-explosion-in-guinea-ki...

Gold Mine Explosion In Guinea Kills At Least 25

by MetalMiner IndX Reports on NOVEMBER 21, 2013

An unfortunate gas explosion has “killed as many as 25 people in an illegal gold mine in eastern Guinea, area that holds some of the West African country’s largest gold reserves.”

A police source confirmed to Reuters that 14 bodies have already been recovered, but added the walls of the mine were ‘too narrow,’ which makes it ‘impossible to survive this kind of accident,’” reports Kitco.

Comment by Starr DiGiacomo on November 19, 2013 at 6:14pm

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hJg1_78q8EJtBona...

Two dead in Belgian refinery blast: Total

(AFP) – 29 minutes ago  

Brussels — Two people died on Tuesday in an explosion at a refinery in the Belgian city of Antwerp, oil giant Total said.

"We regret two fatalities," said a statement from the company.

An earlier statement said one dead with two missing. The second release made no reference to any more missing.

The French company released no information about the fatalities other than to say the victims were each employees of a sub-contractor.

The explosion occurred at about 1400 GMT on the premises of Total Raffinaderij in Antwerpen, the company said.

It is Total's biggest refinery and the third largest in Europe, turning 17 million tonnes of crude oil each year into petrol, diesel and kerosene.

A company spokesman told AFP the explosion stemmed from a problem in its steam-pipes system, and the statement said operations in this area of the site ground to a halt.

"The refinery is evacuated," it added.

"At this moment, the installations involved are being secured," it said.

Managers stressed that there was "no impact for the environment."

Firemen and police arrive after an explosion at the Total Antwerpen oil refinery at Antwerp harbour, on November 19, 2013 (BELGA/AFP, Jonas Roosens)

SEARCH PS Ning or Zetatalk

 
Search:

This free script provided by
JavaScript Kit

Donate

Donate to support Pole Shift ning costs. Thank you!

© 2024   Created by 0nin2migqvl32.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service