Shared Learning Incident Reports
A tragic explosion at the Cerredo mine in Degaña, located about 450 kilometers (280 miles) northwest of Madrid, claimed the lives of five people and seriously injured four others on Monday, according to local officials. Two additional workers at the site were unharmed. Initially, authorities feared that two individuals were missing, but later confirmed that…
A massive fire that erupted early Saturday 29th of March near an oil refinery in Karachi’s Korangi district has continued to rage for more than 30 hours, with authorities still struggling to contain it. Fire Origin and Response The blaze started during deep excavation work at a site approximately 1,800 feet underground, reportedly during groundwater…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) marked the 20th anniversary of the fatal explosions and fires at BP America Texas City Refinery in Texas City, TX, that occurred on March 23, 2005. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of 15 people and injuries to 180 others. To remember this deadly event,…
An explosion at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC) early Tuesday morning sent shockwaves through north Regina. The fire, which broke out in a unit within Section Three at approximately 4:45 a.m., caused minor injuries to two employees. Immediate Response and Containment Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL), which owns and operates the refinery, confirmed in a statement…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a second update on its ongoing investigation into the fatal hydrogen sulfide release that occurred on October 10, 2024, at the PEMEX Deer Park Refinery in Deer Park, Texas. Two contract workers died during the incident, and over 27,000 pounds of toxic hydrogen sulfide gas were released. Local authorities…
A fire broke out at the Abadan oil refinery on Thursday the 20th of March morning when lightning struck a fuel oil tank during severe weather conditions. Reza Naeimi, head of public relations at the refinery, reported that emergency response and crisis management teams acted swiftly, bringing the fire under control in a short time.…
The fire that led to Heathrow’s temporary closure originated at the North Hyde electrical substation in west London. It broke out late on Thursday night at approximately 23:23 GMT on Nestles Avenue, Hayes. Emergency responders, including the London Fire Brigade (LFB), rushed to the scene and battled the flames through the night, eventually bringing the…
An explosion occurred on the Trans-Niger Delta Pipeline in Rivers State on Monday night, prompting an ongoing investigation by authorities. Police have taken two individuals in for questioning as part of efforts to determine whether sabotage played a role in the incident. What Happened? The explosion was reported in Kpor and Bodo communities, areas where…
Authorities are investigating a major oil spill at a decommissioned transformer station in Bærum municipality, near Oslo, after a suspected act of sabotage. On Sunday, approximately 60,000 liters of oil leaked from the facility following a break-in. A section of the perimeter fence had been cut, and the cover at the base of the transformer…
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into a fire that occurred after American Airlines Flight 1006 landed at Denver International Airport on Thursday evening. Two NTSB investigators are examining the incident, which led to 12 people being hospitalized with minor injuries. Timeline of the Incident Passengers reported unusual engine noises shortly…
A devastating fire erupted at approximately 2:30 AM local time (1:30 AM GMT) on Sunday at the Pulse Club in Kocani, where around 500 attendees had gathered for a performance by DNK, a well-known hip-hop duo in the country. The venue, previously a carpet warehouse, had been described in local media as an “improvised nightclub.”…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released its final investigation report into the November 19, 2023, fire at the Marathon Martinez Renewables facility in Martinez, CA. The incident seriously injured one employee, who suffered third-degree burns over most of his face and body, and resulted in approximately $350 million in property damage to the…
An explosion at the Navoiazot plant, a major producer of chemical products and fertilizers in Navoi, central Uzbekistan, resulted in one fatality and left 11 others injured. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the incident occurred at 14:10 when a gas-air mixture ignited inside one of the laboratories, sparking a fire. Ten firefighting and…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it has released Volume 2 of its Incident Reports. Volume 2 covers 25 serious chemical incidents in 14 states: Arkansas, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. These serious incidents resulted in 7 fatalities, 23 serious injuries,…
The operator of the plant, TVO, stated that the recent incident posed no threat to personnel, the environment, or overall nuclear safety. The facility has been undergoing its scheduled annual maintenance shutdown since March 1, with work expected to continue until early May. While maintenance activities have remained on track, a significant operational event occurred…
Fires continue to burn aboard an oil tanker carrying jet fuel and a cargo ship transporting hazardous chemicals following a collision in the North Sea on Monday morning. Authorities have halted the search for a missing crew member after conducting an extensive operation, according to HM Coastguard. The incident involved the Stena Immaculate, a US-registered…
A crude oil and natural gas leak was detected at the Nagajan oilfield in Duliajan, Assam, India, on Sunday, sparking concern among local residents. The sudden discharge of oil and gas created an uneasy situation in the vicinity. According to reports, the leak occurred at Well No. 309 of Oil India Limited’s (OIL) Nagajan field.…
Case study1An operator was screening a pharmaceutical powder by manually loading a mechanical vibrating sieve. The sieved powder was collected below in a stainless steel drum on a dolly with insulating (nylon) wheels. A dust flash fire occurred between the sieve and the drum. The operator had experienced small electric shocks from the collecting drum…
A fire broke out Sunday evening at Valero Energy’s Corpus Christi refinery in Texas, which processes up to 301,000 barrels per day. The incident led to the release of hazardous emissions, according to a regulatory filing submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Valero reported that the fire resulted from a loss of containment,…
A blaze erupted at an oil refinery in Baku’s Nizami district on Wednesday morning. Firefighters responded swiftly to contain the flames, while three ambulance teams were sent as a precaution. Police secured the area to ensure public safety. Local officials arrived to coordinate the response efforts, and environmental specialists were deployed to evaluate potential air…
A freight train derailed in eastern Czech Republic on Friday, igniting a large chemical fire that sent dense black smoke soaring into the sky. The accident took place near the Hustopeče nad Bečvou train station around midday local time (1100 GMT), when multiple tank wagons carrying the hazardous chemical benzene were damaged and caught fire,…
A fire that broke out on Monday at the Ufimsky oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest, was caused by a technical malfunction and has been fully extinguished, according to Russia’s emergency ministry. Despite the incident, operations at the facility remained unaffected, though it is unclear if production was briefly halted during the blaze. The refinery,…
A fire broke out at an oil storage tank within a refinery in Cilacap Regency, Central Java, Indonesia, on Thursday. Authorities confirmed that no injuries occurred as a result of the incident. Footage from the scene captured dense black smoke billowing from the affected tank at the refinery, which is managed by PT Pertamina, Indonesia’s…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the January 24, 2020, fatal propylene release and explosion at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing Company facility in Houston, Texas. The massive explosion resulted in the death of two workers and a nearby resident and damaged hundreds of neighboring homes. The…
A fire rekindled late Tuesday night at the Moss Landing Power Plant as lithium-ion batteries, which had been smoldering, caught fire once again, officials confirmed. This latest flare-up occurred within the same structure where a significant fire broke out on January 16 at Vistra’s Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility. Authorities indicated that while the…
According to the latest report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the fire onboard the cargo vessel Stride was caused by an incorrect valve installed in a diesel oil tank system six weeks before the incident. The fire broke out in the engine room of the vessel during bunkering operations at the Barbours…
Over the past month, three oil tankers have sustained damage from unexplained explosions in separate areas of the Mediterranean, prompting ongoing investigations. According to shipping and security officials, these incidents mark a rare occurrence in the region, as non-military vessels have not faced such blast-related damage for decades. The most recent event took place on…
Japan’s largest oil refiner, Eneos Corp, confirmed on Friday that it had shut down a 141,000 barrels-per-day (bpd) crude distillation unit (CDU) at its Sakai refinery on February 17 due to a fire that occurred the same day. The company has not disclosed the cause of the incident or provided an estimate for when operations…
Seven miners lost their lives in a collapse at the Zhomart mine in Kazakhstan’s Ulytau region on Monday night, local media reported. The accident trapped all seven workers underground, and by Tuesday morning, their bodies had been recovered. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, instructing the government to determine…
A Grimaldi Group-operated con-ro vessel became disabled in the English Channel after experiencing two separate deck fires, prompting a rescue operation. The incidents occurred on Tuesday aboard the 3,515-lane-metre Grande Brasile (built in 2000), about 15 miles (25 km) from the Kent coast in England. The ship had departed Antwerp, Belgium, that same day, bound…
The fire erupted at SPS Technologies on Highland Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Monday. The fire escalated to a four-alarm emergency by 1 a.m., prompting nearly 70 fire companies, predominantly volunteer-based, to respond overnight. Chief Molloy reported that approximately 60 employees were inside when the fire began, but fortunately, all managed to evacuate safely, and…
All 80 individuals aboard a plane that crashed and flipped upon landing in Toronto have survived, according to officials. The Delta Air Lines flight, originating from Minneapolis, skidded along the runway with visible flames before coming to a stop upside down, prompting a swift response from firefighters. Passengers described being suspended upside down in their…
Three significant fire incidents have been reported from different locations in Gujarat over the past 24 hours. A chemical manufacturing facility in Vapi GIDC caught fire, while a severe blaze consumed a plastic barrel manufacturing unit near Jambusar. Additionally, an explosion involving chemical-filled drums occurred at a factory in Borsara GIDC, Mangrol, Surat. Chaos in…
An explosion at an oil storage facility resulted in one fatality and left another individual injured on the 11th of February, in Ulsan, South Korea. Reports from local media indicate that the victims were employees at the facility, engaged in inspecting the oil storage tank when the incident occurred. The fire was fully extinguished within…
A significant explosion followed by a fire at the Parker LORD Corporation facility in Saegertown, Crawford County, left 13 people injured on the morning of Sunday, February 9. Emergency responders arrived at the chemical plant on South Street around 10:30 a.m. after an automatic alarm was triggered, according to a company statement. While attempting to…
On Friday, Martinez Refining Company (MRC) provided an update regarding its ongoing investigation into the February 1 refinery fire, offering insights into the potential health impacts of the smoke that spread across northern Contra Costa County. The latest report outlines the company’s internal review of the incident, which triggered a temporary shelter-in-place advisory from health…
An incident occurred on a 70-foot (21m) tall equipment platform when a contractor pipefitter applied excess torque to tighten flange bolts on a heat exchanger outlet pipe containing gaseous hydrogen chloride (HCl), causing the pipe to crack and release toxic HCl. Seven workers from two contract firms were present on the platform. To escape from…
A fire broke out early Thursday at a chemical fiber plant in in Hsinchu, Taiwan, resulting in the deaths of two workers and injuries to 19 others, according to local reports. Emergency responders arrived at the scene at 2:53 a.m. local time (18:53 GMT, Wednesday) and managed to put out the fire by 3:30 a.m.…
A significant fire broke out at a chemical factory in Hyderabad’s Cherlapalli area on Tuesday evening, triggering widespread alarm among residents. Firefighting units were swiftly deployed to the scene, where emergency response teams worked tirelessly to bring the situation under control. While no casualties have been reported so far, authorities have not yet confirmed whether…
Emergency services responded to an explosion at an arms manufacturing site in Javali Viejo, near Murcia, Spain. Firefighters arrived promptly to contain a fire ignited by the blast. Six men, aged between 30 and 52, sustained injuries and were transported to a nearby hospital, with one individual reported to be in critical condition. The explosion…
A hydrocarbon leak triggered an explosion and massive fire at the Martinez Refining Company on Saturday, leading to a shelter-in-place advisory for several hours as thick black smoke drifted over Martinez, Pacheco, and Clyde. All employees at the refinery, located at 3495 Pacheco Blvd., were accounted for. During a press briefing around 5:20 p.m., Contra…
A South Korean Air Busan aircraft caught fire on the runway at Gimhae International Airport while preparing for takeoff to Hong Kong, according to fire officials on Tuesday. All 169 passengers and seven crew members were safely evacuated, though three individuals sustained minor injuries, Busan fire authorities confirmed. The fire originated in the aircraft’s tail…
A fire broke out on Sunday at an oil refinery in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, according to a local source. The blaze started in a storage tank at a refinery situated along the Erbil-Gwer road, Civil defense teams were promptly deployed to the site and were actively working to control the fire.…
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but fire officials revealed that the factory’s fire prevention system failed to function as intended, allowing the flames to spread. Following the incident, the facility was promptly evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The fire started on January the 16th where thick black smoke led to evacuation…
Italian authorities confirmed on Wednesday that 26 individuals were safely evacuated after a fire broke out on an oil platform located in the Adriatic Sea. Fortunately, no injuries or environmental contamination have been reported. Photos released depicted smoke rising from the Rospo Mare B platform, operated by the UK-based energy firm Energean, although no visible…
An explosion occurred at the Port of Barcelona at 10:13 a.m. local time, prompting the activation of the port’s Self-Protection Plan, according to an official statement. The incident took place at a tank owned by Tepsa, an energy storage company, during maintenance work on the Energy Wharf. Tepsa, a company specializing in the storage of…
Authorities have reported that 32 individuals sustained injuries following an explosion at a chemical recycling facility located in Taman Perindustrian Kapar Indah, Klang, yesterday afternoon. According to ACP S. Vijaya Rao, Chief of the Klang Utara District Police, those injured were aged between 20 and 40 and were present near the blast site at the…
the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it is launching a new initiative to give the public more details about the serious chemical incidents that have been reported to the CSB since the agency’s Accidental Release Reporting Rule (ARRR) went into effect in March 2020. The CSB will be compiling summaries…
An audit team was touring a newly installed load/unload station. A team member saw two hose reels near the station, both with the same-colored hose and the same connectors. One was labeled compressed air; the other nitrogen. A team member asked how the hoses were used. The air hose was for use with pneumatic tools…
A major fire erupted at a chemical factory in Greater Noida on Sunday, triggering loud explosions that forced employees to flee for their safety. The blaze caused extensive damage to the factory, but no casualties or injuries have been reported so far. More than 20 firefighting units were dispatched to the Dujana industrial zone, where…
On Sunday, January 12, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) announced the successful rescue of 14 crew members from the product tanker Eagle 1, which caught fire approximately four nautical miles southeast of Tanjung Piai. Johor MMEA’s acting director, Maritime Captain Kama Azri Kamil, confirmed that the rescued individuals were brought to the state MMEA…
A gas depot explosion in central Yemen has left several dead and over 70 injured, according to medical reports released on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the remote Al Zahir district of Al Bayda province, approximately 270 kilometers southeast of Sana’a, Yemen’s capital. Initial reports confirmed five fatalities at the scene, while…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the August 2020 fire and toxic gas release at the Bio-Lab Lake Charles chemical facility in Westlake, Louisiana, that occurred when the facility was severely damaged by Hurricane Laura. The CSB’s new safety video, called “Fire From the Storm:…
A fire erupted Monday afternoon at the HF Sinclair refinery located in west Tulsa. According to a company spokesperson, the fire was triggered by what they described as an “operational upset” at approximately 5 p.m. The spokesperson emphasized that the refinery’s emergency response team acted swiftly and in accordance with established procedures, successfully extinguishing the…
Fires that erupted in multiple reservoirs at the Zawiya refinery in Libya have been successfully contained. Located 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Tripoli, Zawiya hosts Libya’s largest operational refinery, which has a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day. The facility is linked to the Sharara oilfield. Efforts are underway to transfer the remaining…
A fire erupted Tuesday night at the Ing. Antonio M. Amor refinery, located in Salamanca, Guanajuato. The flames were visible from several kilometers away, accompanied by noticeable smoke and a strong odor of hydrocarbons in the surrounding area. Local reports indicate that the fire is believed to have started in the Oil Separation zone near…
Emergency crews are working to contain a fire aboard a newly built bulk carrier docked in the Canary Islands. The blaze erupted on Monday within the cargo hold of the 5,250-dwt multipurpose dry cargo vessel Langeland (constructed in 2024) while it was berthed at the port of Arinaga on Gran Canaria. The fire was caused…
The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that its Mine Safety and Health Administration completed impact inspections in October 2024 at 15 mines in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wyoming and issued 286 violations. The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention…
With winter and cold weather rapidly approaching, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is re-emphasizing to chemical facilities the importance of being prepared for extreme cold outdoor weather, which includes identifying and implementing best safety practices for cold weather operations to avoid serious chemical accidents this winter. Data available to the CSB on…
An explosion at a gas refinery near Florence, Italy, claimed the lives of at least two people and left nine others injured on Monday, according to local authorities. Four individuals remain unaccounted for following the incident at the facility operated by ENI, one of Italy’s leading energy companies. The blaze triggered by the explosion has…
This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Bhopal disaster where highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) was released from a storage tank. This event caused thousands of fatalities. None of the safeguards designed to mitigate a release of MIC worked, including the scrubber, flare, and deluge system. The company did not recognize that materials in…
On Sunday morning, December 1, a leak was identified in the Druzhba pipeline in western Poland. According to a statement from Ewa Sochacka-Urban, spokesperson for PERN S.A., the spill occurred near Pniewy, a town located approximately 30 kilometers from Poznań, the regional capital. Local firefighting teams worked tirelessly at the site for over 15 hours,…
A fire broke out on Thursday 28th November morning at Pemex’s Minatitlán refinery in Veracruz, marking the second incident at a company facility within a week. Local reports indicate that onsite teams quickly extinguished the fire, and no major injuries were reported. The blaze occurred in the effluent area of the 285,000-barrel-per-day plant, sending a…
A gas leak at Tagoor Laboratories Private Limited, a pharmaceutical unit in Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, claimed one life and left 20 others affected. The incident occurred on November 27th when hydrogen chloride (HCl), a hazardous chemical, leaked within the facility. Among the affected, one person succumbed, while eight others were hospitalized. Reports indicate that…
the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an investigation update into the chemical reaction and toxic gas release on September 29, 2024, at the Bio-Lab, Inc. facility in Conyers, Georgia, that resulted in a massive fire and plume of toxic smoke that threatened the surrounding community and the metropolitan Atlanta area. The reaction involved…
An electricity production company utilizing anaerobic digestion to convert food waste into energy has been fined over £300,000 following an explosion that left two employees with severe, life-altering injuries. The incident occurred on September 20, 2017, when employees of Bio Dynamic were working on pipe replacement at the top of an 11-meter-high metal tank filled…
A fire erupted at the TÜPRAŞ Refinery in the Aliağa district of İzmir, originating in the U-7000 unit, which contains the facility’s crude oil furnace. The blaze escalated rapidly, prompting the refinery to seek assistance from a nearby fire department. Firefighting teams worked to bring the situation under control, though authorities have not yet issued…
A North Sea oil rig was evacuated after a supply vessel collided with the installation. Harbour Energy reported that 52 “non-essential personnel” were removed from the Valaris 120 rig. Before the incident, the jackup rig, located approximately 150 miles east of Aberdeen, housed 128 workers. The collision occurred at around 10:20 p.m. on Sunday. Fortunately,…
A gas leak following a reactor explosion at a fertiliser plant in Maharashtra’s Sangli district claimed three lives and left nine others hospitalised on Thursday evening, November 21. The incident took place at Myanmar Chemical Company, situated in the Shalgaon MIDC area of Kadegaon tehsil, around 6:30 p.m. Preliminary investigations suggest that the explosion in…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it is sending a team of investigators to Louisville, Kentucky, to investigate the fatal explosion that occurred on November 12, 2024, at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility in Louisville, KY. Two employees were killed and eleven others were injured by the explosion. CSB Chairperson…
Thick black smoke from a petroleum tank fire blanketed the skies over Tulsa County on Tuesday, visible from miles away. As a precaution, firefighters evacuated nearby areas. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. A heavy plume of black smoke was emanating from the structure. It appeared to be a petroleum tank farm, with multiple tanks involved…
Authorities in Venezuela have arrested eleven individuals as part of an ongoing investigation into last week’s explosion and fire at a major gas facility, Vice-President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez announced on Monday. The Muscar gas complex, located in the eastern Monagas region and operated by state oil company PDVSA, was temporarily shut down after…
An explosion at a food coloring factory in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 12 resulted in the deaths of two individuals and left several others injured. The incident occurred at a Givaudan Sense Colour facility, which specializes in producing colorants for food and beverages. In a public statement, Givaudan expressed deep sorrow, confirming the loss of…
On November 18, a chemical explosion at a factory in Durban, South Africa, resulted in one fatality and injuries to three others. Emergency services were called to the Jacobs area around 12:45 p.m. local time following reports of an explosion. Paramedics arriving on the scene described the situation as “chaotic.” One individual succumbed to cardiac…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update on the agency’s investigation into the July 31, 2024, hazardous ammonia release at the Cuisine Solutions, Inc. food processing facility in Sterling, Virginia. The incident involved the accidental release of anhydrous ammonia, a hazardous chemical commonly used in refrigeration systems. Dozens of employees were injured…
On November 10, a fire erupted at a steel plant in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, leading to burn injuries for one worker. The facility is managed by Posco, a major global steel producer. The fire ignited at approximately 04:20 local time, reportedly accompanied by several explosions at Posco’s third FINEX production unit. Emergency…
A major explosion at a vital gas production site operated by state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) has led to the suspension of more than 60% of Venezuela’s fuel supply. The incident claimed the lives of at least eight individuals, while several others were hospitalized with injuries. The exact cause of the explosion is still under…
An explosion and subsequent fire occurred at the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) refinery in Vadodara, Gujarat, resulting in the deaths of two workers and injuring another individual. The incident took place on Monday, November 11, in the afternoon when a blast erupted in a benzene storage tank, leading to flames that quickly spread to adjacent…
On November the 11th, firefighters confronted a significant blaze at a parking facility near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, a key entry point for travelers. The fire resulted in the destruction of approximately 40 to 50 vehicles. Emergency services responded to the scene around 3 a.m. today. The cause of the incident has not yet been determined,…
A fire broke out in Devsar village, near Bilimora in Navsari district, on Saturday, resulting in at least three fatalities, two injuries, and two missing persons. The injured individuals were taken to a hospital in Valsad for treatment. Fire crews from Bilimora, Gandevi, and Navsari worked for approximately three hours to bring the blaze under…
The U.S. Department of Labor has reported that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) conducted targeted inspections in September 2024 at eight mines located in Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These inspections led to the identification of 112 safety violations. Since 2023, MSHA’s targeted inspections have revealed 4,679 total…
Process Safety communities around the world are working together to present the 1st International Process Safety Week [IPSW] on 2-6 December 2024. Process Safety needs relentless vigilance. The IPSW is intended to promote this vigilance and to remind us of past significant incidents and the lessons learned. IPSW will help unify our thoughts and commitment…
An explosion followed by a fire injured 12 workers on November 5 at an oil refinery in Izmit, northwestern Turkey. The facility, managed by Tüpras, reported that all injured personnel were promptly taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, while on-site responders quickly managed to control the fire. According to a statement from Tüpras,…
An Australian gin distillery and winery has been fined $50,000 AUD (£25,000) following an explosion that injured both employees and guests during a “distiller for a day” event. Buller Wines, located in Rutherglen, Victoria, was sentenced in Wodonga Magistrates’ Court on October 30 without a conviction. The company had previously pleaded guilty to two charges:…
On October 30, 2024, a fire broke out at a lithium-ion battery recycling plant near Fredericktown, Missouri, around 2:30 p.m. Smoke was visible from Critical Mineral Recovery, a facility specializing in the recycling of lithium-ion batteries and associated materials. Authorities advised residents in the path of the smoke plume, which was blowing north from the…
A steel plant owned by Simec in Mexico’s central state of Tlaxcala experienced a deadly explosion early Wednesday, resulting in at least 12 fatalities, according to local authorities. The incident involved a spill of molten steel at the Apizaco facility, leading to a temporary halt in operations and significant loss of life, the company reported…
A significant fire broke out at BAE Systems’ nuclear submarine shipyard in Cumbria, resulting in two individuals being taken to the hospital. Large flames and heavy smoke were emanating from the Barrow-in-Furness facility, where the UK’s new Dreadnought submarines, worth billions, are under construction. According to Cumbria police, there was no nuclear threat posed by…
An explosion occurred around 11:45 AM on October 24th at a facility operated by the Water Pollution Control Authority in Bantam, near Litchfield, Connecticut. The incident prompted a response from both the Bantam and Litchfield Fire Departments, alongside paramedics, after reports of a sewage tank explosion. Upon arrival, emergency teams were informed by site employees…
On January 15, 2023, an explosion erupted at Panjin Haoye Chemical petrochemical facility while maintenance work was being conducted. The blast led to a fire that quickly spread throughout the plant, resulting in damages valued at nearly 88 million yuan (£9.5 million). Following a thorough investigation, it was concluded that the explosion stemmed from a…
The American Petroleum Institute (API) has released Addendum 1 to the 10th Edition of API RP 2001, titled Fire Protection in Refineries. This recent addendum enhances current fire safety standards by incorporating additional protocols focused on pre-incident planning and emergency response within refinery settings. API Senior Vice President of Global Industry Services, Anchal Liddar, commented,…
Shell reported that an oil leak occurred around 5:30 a.m. local time from an onshore pipeline. The leak was halted by approximately 3:00 p.m., although traces of oil were seen in the waterway between Bukom Besar and Kechil islands. The company stated that emergency response teams were immediately activated to address the situation. No injuries…
A fire broke out at the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery in Baku’s Nizami district, prompting an immediate response from emergency services. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, forces from the State Fire Protection Service and the Special Risk Rescue Service were quickly dispatched to the scene. Thanks to the swift intervention of the firefighting…
Early on the 21st October, local authorities, including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), responded to a fire on a tanker shortly after it arrived at the Singapore anchorage. According to reports, all 22 crew members of the product tanker Med Atlantic (26,234 dwt) were safely…
A fire that erupted at Bayernoil Raffineriegesellschaft MBH’s dual-site refinery, which processes 10.3 million tonnes annually, has been successfully put out. The refinery is located across Vohburg, Ingolstadt, and Neustadt in Bavaria, Germany. Bayernoil is co-owned by Varo Energy GMBH, which holds a 51.43% stake, along with Rosneft Deutschland GMBH (28.57%) and Enilive Deutschland GMBH,…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the fatal release of hydrogen chloride at the Wacker Polysilicon North America facility in Charleston, Tennessee, that occurred on November 13, 2020. One contract worker was killed – and two others were seriously injured – when attempting to escape…
A significant fire that broke out early Tuesday at an oil tank in La Salina terminal, operated by Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA, was successfully extinguished on Wednesday, authorities reported. The fire began during a storm at the facility, which is located near the city of Cabimas in western Venezuela. The terminal is used by…
A devastating accident involving a fuel tanker occurred overnight on a highway in Jigawa state, resulting in a deadly explosion. According to police spokesperson Lawan Shiisu Adam, the crash prompted locals to gather around the overturned vehicle to collect fuel before the explosion ignited a massive fire on Wednesday. Footage reportedly from the scene revealed…
The illustrated summary complements the NTSB’s comprehensive 201-page final report by using images and diagrams to clarify the causes of the derailment and the NTSB’s safety recommendations for preventing future incidents. While the final report stands as the NTSB’s official account of the derailment, it also emphasises the thoroughness and extent of the 16-month inquiry.…
A deadly fire broke out at a fuel station in Chechnya, Russia, resulting in the deaths of four people, including two children, as reported by emergency services. Authorities shared images showing over two dozen firefighters working to control the flames at a nearly destroyed fuel station in Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya. “Tragically, four…
CSB announced today that it is launching an investigation into a fatal release of hydrogen sulfide at the Pemex petroleum refinery in Deer Park, Texas, which occurred yesterday, October 10. Two contract workers died as a result of the release, and an additional 13 workers reportedly were transported to local medical facilities. CSB Chairperson Steve…
Two individuals have been confirmed dead, and more than 35 others were injured following a chemical leak at a Pemex refinery in Deer Park on Thursday evening. Officials at the Pemex facility, located at 5900 Highway 225, explained that they were managing an emergency, which had begun at approximately 4:40 p.m. This information was shared…
The gas leak at the Boysun M-25 gas field remains unresolved as authorities continue their work to address the situation. Uzbekistan’s Energy Minister, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, stated that emergency crews still require an additional two to three days to fully prepare, even though significant progress has been made. International specialists and state-of-the-art equipment have been brought…
The EPA found that Philadelphia Energy Solutions failed to identify hazards posed by a corroded pipe. The U.S. government has reached a $4.2 million settlement with Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining and Marketing LLC (PES) to resolve penalties under the Clean Air Act (CAA) related to the fire and explosion that occurred on June 21, 2019,…
In the span of one week, the Bangladesh Navy carried out two critical fire rescue operations on Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) vessels in the port city of Chittagong. The first incident occurred Friday night when a significant fire broke out aboard the BSC oil tanker “MT Banglar Saurabh” in the outer harbor of Chittagong Port.…
Thirty-five years ago, 85,000 pounds (39 metric tons) of process gas, mostly ethylene, were released from a plastics plant in Pasadena, Texas. The cloud ignited two minutes later. Debris flew as far as 6 miles (10 km), luckily hitting no one. The following fire caused the explosion of a 20,000-gallon (75 m³) isobutane tank; other…
A fire at a chemical plant in Conyers, Georgia, prompted a large-scale evacuation over the weekend as officials worked to contain the situation and ensure public safety. The fire broke out early Sunday morning at the BioLab facility, a manufacturer of pool and spa treatment products. The blaze produced a massive plume of smoke, raising…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is sending investigators to investigate the major chemical fire that occurred on September 29 at the Bio-Lab facility in Conyers, GA. According to news reports, as many as 17,000 people in the area evacuated due to the fire and 90,000 others east of Atlanta were advised…
An explosion on a shuttle tanker moored at the Eastern Refinery in Chittagong, Bangladesh, resulted in the deaths of three crew members on September 30. The blast triggered a fire that prompted the Coast Guard, Navy, and local resources to respond. Several vessels had to be relocated to a safer area. The explosion occurred around…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update into its ongoing investigation of a May 30, 2024, accidental release of a molten mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium nitrate which fatally injured one employee and resulted in injuries to a second employee at the Techniques Surfaces USA (“TS USA”) Liquid Nitriding facility in…
A chemical leak at an industrial plant in Ulsan, a southeastern city in South Korea, led to the hospitalization of 16 individuals on Friday, according to local authorities. Emergency services were alerted to a burning odor and the appearance of white smoke at a synthetic resin factory in Ulju County, approximately 300 kilometers southeast of…
Residents in Cleves and Whitewater Township, Ohio, were instructed to evacuate promptly following a chemical spill deemed “dangerous” by local authorities on the 24th of September. According to an official from the Hamilton County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the leak did not result from a train derailment but was instead caused by an…
On Monday, September 23, a series of explosions erupted at an oil condensate plant in the Fajr Industrial Park in Garmsar, central Iran, igniting a massive fire and injuring several workers. Local reports indicate that the explosions caused significant damage, and firefighting efforts have been challenging due to the intensity of the blaze. Authorities confirmed…
A gas leak that triggered an explosion in an Iranian coal mine has claimed the lives of 51 individuals, according to reports from Iranian state media. The rescue efforts to save survivors have been described as highly challenging. The explosion took place in two sections of the Madanjoo mine, located in Tabas, South Khorasan, in…
Two consecutive incidents at a gas development well being drilled onshore in Uzbekistan have resulted in the deaths of four people. The well, located at a field jointly owned by a prominent Russian businessman and a leading Uzbek tycoon, experienced blowouts on 1 and 17 September, with several others hospitalized as a result of the…
A fire broke out at the Goldfix factory, a chemical paint production facility, located in the Bahçeağıl neighborhood of Tekirdağ’s Kapaklı district in Türkiye. Thick smoke and flames quickly filled the air, causing widespread concern among local residents. Firefighters from multiple units arrived promptly and managed to contain the blaze. The fire severely damaged a…
A fire broke out on Tuesday at a significant oil refinery located west of Athens, leading to minor injuries for three workers and prompting authorities to issue an evacuation alert for nearby residents. The incident occurred near Agii Theodori, a coastal town approximately 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Athens. Authorities reported that the fire was…
Haitian authorities report that 24 people have lost their lives following a fuel tanker explosion. Numerous others have sustained severe injuries, with some suffering burns over 80% of their bodies, according to Prime Minister Garry Conille. The explosion occurred on Saturday near Miragoane, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital. Local…
A crew of 15 was successfully rescued from the southern waters of Cape, South Africa, on Thursday the 11th of September after their offshore supply vessel (OSV) caught fire, forcing its abandonment. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that the incident involved the Marshall Island-flagged vessel AM Pride, which caught fire early Thursday…
A powerful explosion hit a pasta factory in the northwestern province of Sakarya, Türkiye, on September 15, leaving one worker dead and 33 others injured. The incident took place at the facility in the Hendek district, drawing an immediate response from emergency teams. Firefighters worked diligently to extinguish the blaze that broke out after the…
Chaos erupted at a chemical factory in Maharashtra’s Raigad district after a major explosion on Thursday 11th, which resulted in the deaths of two workers and left four others injured. The incident occurred at Sadhana Nitro Chem Limited, located in the Dhatav MIDC area of Roha town, approximately 110 kilometers from Mumbai. According to authorities,…
Residents of several villages in the Baysun district of Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region were evacuated following a hydrogen sulfide gas leak, according to local media. The Ministry of Emergency Situations in Uzbekistan reported that the incident occurred on September 1 at 3:17 p.m. during drilling at Well No. 604 in the “25 Years of Independence” gas…
Two workers lost their lives, and another was injured after a fire erupted over the weekend at Mexico’s largest domestic refinery, operated by the state oil company Pemex, a company official announced on Monday. The fire started on Saturday at the Salina Cruz refinery located in Oaxaca state, according to plant manager Arturo Recio. Recio…
On Monday, oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico began evacuating workers and reducing drilling operations as Tropical Storm Francine moved toward the area, according to various reports. The storm is forecasted to strengthen into the fourth hurricane of the Atlantic season and is expected to hit the Louisiana coast by Wednesday…
A fire erupted Thursday the 5th inside a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) battery storage facility located in Escondido, California. The fire, which ignited lithium-ion batteries inside a storage container, led to the evacuation of around 500 nearby businesses, according to a fire official. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after 12:10 p.m. after…
A Greek-owned tanker called the MV Sounion, carrying a million barrels of oil, is still in flames following an attack by Yemeni Houthi rebels on August 21st. Source: AP
A devastating collision between a fuel tanker and a truck in Nigeria has resulted in a massive explosion, leaving at least 48 people dead, according to the country’s emergency response agency. The fuel tanker, which was also transporting cattle, crashed in the Agaie area of north-central Niger state. At least 50 cattle were killed in…
Picture reveals the aftermath of a deadly crash on the Bruce Highway early Friday 31st morning, where a utility vehicle collided with a truck carrying 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, leading to a fatality. The driver of the ute lost his life, while bystanders rescued the truck driver, who sustained injuries to his abdomen, legs,…
We have seen movies of 1500’s era warriors preparing for battle. They sharpen swords, test their shields and don their armor and helmets. Leaders explain the plans for the ensuing conflict, and they all go to their stations to await the start of the battle. Some movies also show the soldiers thinking about possible injuries,…
The final report from the Grenfell Inquiry highlights how a series of failings within both the government and the private sector turned Grenfell Tower into a deadly hazard. In 2017, a fire at the tower claimed 72 lives, with previous investigations identifying the building’s cladding as the primary cause for the fire’s rapid spread. On…
On August 28, court officials confirmed that an arrest warrant had been issued for Park, the CEO of Aricell, due to the grave nature of the charges against him and the company. A warrant was also issued for another Aricell executive, Park’s son. Television footage showed Park entering the court in handcuffs, where he declined…
Thai authorities have confirmed the deaths of three foreign workers who were trapped in a collapsed train tunnel for over five days, despite extensive rescue efforts. The workers, two from China and one from Myanmar, were believed to be alive until Thursday. They became trapped on Saturday when part of the tunnel they were constructing…
A tragic flash fire at a pharmaceutical facility in Anakapalli district has resulted in the loss of three lives, with two more workers succumbing to burn injuries after the incident on August 23. The fire broke out at Synergene Active Ingredients Pvt Ltd, located within Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City in Parawada, following the improper mixing…
A fire broke out at the refinery around 10:20 AM local time today, triggering the facility’s fire alarm system. This alarm set off an immediate response from Crossbridge Energy’s in-house firefighting team, who were supported by the local fire department and police. In a statement, Crossbridge Energy emphasized that their emergency team was well-prepared and…
An explosion at a pharmaceutical facility in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has resulted in the deaths of at least 17 individuals, according to a government representative. Approximately 40 others were injured in the incident, which occurred on Wednesday 21st of August at Escientia Advanced Sciences’ 40-acre manufacturing site in Anakapalli district. The…
A fire broke out on an oil well drilling platform in Bukit Tempurung Village, located in western Indonesia’s Rantau Field, managed by PT Pertamina EP (PEP). The incident occurred over the weekend during a maintenance operation aimed at boosting oil production, according to local media sources. The fire, which took place in the Kuala Simpang…
A tragic explosion occurred on Saturday night on an offshore natural gas pipeline close to Venice, Louisiana, resulting in the death of one individual, as confirmed by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday. The pipeline, which is operated by Whitney Oil and Gas, was involved in the incident. According to a statement released by Louisiana…
Norwegian energy giant Equinor has partially evacuated personnel from its Gullfaks C platform and halted production operations. The company attributed the action to a “well control incident,” but assured that the situation is currently “stable.” A spokesperson for Equinor informed Energy Voice that, as a precautionary measure, workers not involved in critical tasks were removed…
Over the past decade, Venezuela’s petroleum industry has gained a troubling reputation for frequent oil spills, largely due to ongoing economic difficulties. The most recent spill from an aging refinery has reportedly polluted a vast area of Venezuela’s coastal waters, tainting beaches near a prominent nature reserve. Satellite images suggest that the oil slick spans…
PT Pertamina EP (PEP) Rantau Field reported that a fire broke out on a rig and oil well drilling platform in Bukit Tempurung Village, located in Kuala Simpang District, Aceh Tamiang, on Saturday afternoon. The incident occurred during a maintenance operation intended to enhance oil production at the well. Edwin Susanto, Acting Field Manager of…
On August 2, 2024, a tragic accident aboard the platform supply vessel (PSV) Icon Amara, operated by Icon Offshore Berhad, resulted in the deaths of two crew members and left another gravely injured. The incident took place at approximately 10:30 p.m. local time as the vessel was servicing the Sapar Alpha platform near Bintulu. According…
Authorities declared a major incident on Wednesday after a sodium cyanide spill in a canal in the West Midlands was identified as a significant public health hazard. Following the toxic spill, which reportedly occurred on Monday, the public has been urged to avoid a 12-mile section of canals and towpaths, particularly around the Walsall area.…
Last Thursday, the media spokesperson for the Public Security Directorate (PSD) reported that firefighters from the Aqaba Civil Defense Directorate successfully extinguished a fire that ignited in four oil tanker lines at an oil refinery in Aqaba. The firefighting teams managed to bring the blaze under control, effectively preventing it from spreading to the nearby…
A significant explosion occurred on a Yang Ming container ship at the Ningbo-Zhoushan port at 1:40 p.m. on Friday, August 9, as reported by the state news agency Xinhua. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported. Yang Ming, the shipowner, issued a statement confirming that the situation is now under control, and all crew…
An explosion occurred at the Evonik chemical plant in Theodore on Saturday due to an over-pressurized railcar. Emergency responders, including Mobile County Fire and Mobile Fire-Rescue teams, along with other agencies, quickly arrived at the scene to provide assistance. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries reported. According to the company, the incident happened when a…
Indonesian officials are investigating a serious incident involving an explosion and fire on an interisland tanker near Tepekong Island, located off the eastern coast of Bali in the Java Sea. The tragic event resulted in the deaths of five crew members, with three others suffering severe burns and twelve sustaining less critical injuries. The tanker…
Late on the night of August 2, 2024, at approximately 11:12 PM, a fire ignited at the Akaso 4 Wellhead, managed by Nigerian National Petroleum Company 18 Operating Limited. According to a statement released on Saturday by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), NNPC 18 Operating Limited has swiftly sent an emergency response team…
A tragic explosion occurred on the 2nd of August involving a ship near an oil platform in Bintulu, leading to the deaths of two workers and injuring another. Bintulu police chief Superintendent Nixon Joshua Ali stated that the police were alerted to the incident around 2 a.m. this morning. The explosion happened in the engine…
Lebanon is observing the fourth anniversary of the devastating explosion at the Beirut port, which claimed the lives of over 220 individuals. As of today, no one has been held accountable for the tragic event on August 4, 2020. This explosion, one of the most massive non-nuclear blasts ever recorded, resulted in injuries to at…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that it is launching an investigation into a hazardous ammonia leak which occurred the evening of July 31 at Cuisine Solutions, Inc., a food processing facility in Loudon County, VA. The release led to the hospitalization of 33 workers, with some in serious condition. CSB…
In Figure 1., an older section of piping had corroded, but a decision was made to continue operation until the next inspection. The piping failed, released hot, flammable liquid, that formed a vapor cloud. It ignited and caused a large fire There were no fatalities. In Figure 2., a spherical tank in Liquified Natural Gas…
An explosion followed by a fire occurred on Monday at the primary facility of BASF, a leading German chemical corporation, resulting in injuries to 18 employees. The incident took place around midday in the southern section of the extensive Ludwigshafen plant, igniting a blaze that has now been put out. Eighteen workers sustained minor injuries…
Firefighters in South Korea successfully extinguished a blaze at an S-Oil refinery yesterday, approximately three hours after it began. Local fire department officials reported that there were no casualties from the incident, which occurred in the early morning hours. Photographs from the scene depicted intense flames emanating from the facility. According to the Ulsan fire…
The Philippine Coast Guard has initiated efforts to deploy floating barriers and commence cleanup operations following an oil spill, aiming to prevent the contamination from reaching Manila. The urgent response follows the capsizing of the 65-meter-long MT Terra Nova on Thursday amid heavy monsoon rains that swept across the country. Officials reported that the spill…
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new Safety Study titled “Remote Isolation of Process Equipment” that issues recommendations to key regulators and calls for greater use of remote isolation equipment at chemical facilities in the United States. Based on the agency’s investigations of several catastrophic chemical incidents in recent years, the CSB’s new…
A tragic incident at a tequila factory in Mexico has resulted in the deaths of at least six workers, local authorities announced. The catastrophe occurred at a Casa Cuervo distillery located in the town of Tequila, Jalisco state, where two other individuals sustained injuries. Casa Cuervo, known as the largest global producer of tequila, manages…
Britain’s offshore oil and gas installations are held to high regulatory standards, but human error can still lead to a major incident. That’s the message from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), who are urging offshore companies to take a closer look at what’s widely known in the sector as human factors. HSE inspects human…
A tragic plane crash in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people on Wednesday when the aircraft burst into flames during takeoff. The pilot, currently hospitalized, is the only one who survived the devastating crash. There were 19 people aboard the Saurya Airlines test flight, including technical staff and two…
On Sunday, the Indian Navy frigate INS Brahmaputra caught fire and subsequently capsized at the Mumbai Naval Dockyard, leaving one sailor unaccounted for and causing extensive damage to the vessel. While undergoing routine maintenance, the INS Brahmaputra caught fire at the Mumbai Naval Dockyard. Despite efforts to control the situation, the ship began listing to…
On Thursday, July 18, 2024, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) received an emergency alert from the Regional Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center (RMRCC) in Lagos. The alert reported that the Britania U drilling platform was in distress at the Ajakpa Field (OML 90), situated 10.77 nautical miles south of the Forcados Terminal in…
The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) reported that it was notified of a fire on both the Singapore-flagged product tanker Hafnia Nile and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged Ceres 1 at approximately 06:15 hours SGT on July 19. The incident occurred about 55 kilometers northeast of Pedra Branca. The fire resulted from a…
A preliminary report by a committee investigating the explosion at a chemical plant in Sangareddy district, which resulted in the deaths of six workers, has highlighted significant organizational and regulatory deficiencies as contributing factors. The explosion at SB Organics Limited in Chandapur village, Hathnoora Mandal, on April 3, killed six employees instantly and injured 19…
A tragic incident occurred at Vasant Chemicals Private Ltd within the special economic zone (SEZ) in Atchutapuram, Anakapalle district, on Wednesday, resulting in the death of a contract worker. The fatal explosion happened just days after the Anakapalle district administration held a meeting to discuss factory safety measures. The victim, identified as 44-year-old Pradeep Rout,…
At 9:31 a.m. on July 11, Franklin County Emergency Management received a call about a hazardous materials situation at a facility on Development Avenue in Letterkenny Township. The incident occurred at the AFCO facility in the 800 block, involving a leak that released a mixture of water, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and a dye, according…
Washington D.C., July 11, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a new safety video on its investigation into the fatal release of acetic acid at the LyondellBasell La Porte Complex in La Porte, Texas, on July 27, 2021, that killed two contract workers. Approximately 164,000 pounds of a highly corrosive acetic acid…
Authorities provided an update on a major explosion and subsequent fire at a factory in Melbourne’s western region on Wednesday. While the blaze has been controlled, the incident has led to chemical contamination of a nearby creek. Emergency services were dispatched to Swann Drive in Derrimut at around 11:20 AM local time on Wednesday, responding…
In 2019, an explosion followed a 10,000 lbs. (4500kg) release of flammable isobutylene from a failed Ystrainer. It fatally injured one worker and seriously injured two others. The incident also injured 28 andresulted in the operating company’s bankruptcy. This Beacon focuses on only one of many lessons learned from this incident–the tremendous pressure that occurs…
A devastating fire at a fertilizer warehouse in South Hill, Virginia, resulted in the death of one woman and injuries to more than a dozen firefighters on Saturday. Preliminary findings from the South Hill Police Department indicate that the fire erupted when a woman crashed her vehicle into a Nutrien Ag Solutions facility on West…
On Friday morning, a mine shaft explosion in Placer County resulted in critical injuries for two workers, officials reported. The incident occurred around 9:40 a.m. at a mine located on Mosquito Ridge Road within the Tahoe National Forest, as detailed in a news release from the Foresthill Fire Protection District. Responders from the Foresthill Fire…
Washington, D.C., July 3, 2024 — With Hurricane Beryl the Atlantic Ocean’s earliest Category 5 storm on record, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is once again urging the chemical industry to act expeditiously to prepare for a season of potentially more frequent and more powerful hurricanes and other extreme weather events. On…
A fire broke out at a refinery owned by Idemitsu Kosan Co., a leading Japanese oil company, near Tokyo on Tuesday, resulting in injuries to a male employee, according to police and company officials. Firefighters were alerted around 2:30 p.m. to a fire caused by an oil leak at the Ichihara complex in Chiba Prefecture.…
A gas explosion resulting from a vehicle accident claimed six lives and injured 14 others in Mongolia’s capital on Wednesday, according to local authorities. The incident occurred when a truck transporting 60 tons of liquified natural gas (LNG) collided with a car and detonated in the early hours, as reported by the Mongolian National Emergency…
A section of the roof at New Delhi’s airport gave way after heavy rainfall on Friday, resulting in the death of one man and injuring eight others. This incident adds to a series of high-profile infrastructure failures affecting India’s reputation. A statement from Indira Gandhi International Airport indicated that the collapse occurred at approximately 5…
A minor fire occurred in a storage section of Kuwait’s Al Zour refinery, but it did not disrupt production, according to a statement from the state-owned Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC) on Saturday. The incident resulted in no injuries, and firefighters were actively working to manage the situation, KIPIC reported on X. KIPIC’s official…
Last Wednesday, a “minor fire” occurred at the Dangote Refinery, Africa’s newest and largest refinery. Footage from the site revealed smoke and flames emerging from one section of the facility. However, the operator stated that the incident did not cause any significant disruption. “We have swiftly contained a minor fire incident at our effluent treatment…
On February 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, USA. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that toxic chemicals, including vinyl chloride, were burned following the accident, releasing hazardous fumes into the air. During a board meeting on Tuesday, the NTSB revealed that the derailment was caused by an overheated…
Early this morning, over 40 employees were compelled to evacuate a chemical warehouse in Western Sydney as it was overtaken by a large fire, resulting in dense black smoke covering the area. Approximately 60 firefighters were dispatched to address the fifth alarm fire—the highest alert level—at the single-storey Industrial Galvanizers facility on Amax Avenue in…
Washington D.C. June 24, 2024 – Today the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) issued its final investigation report into the fatal naphtha release and fire at the BP-Husky Toledo Refinery (“BP Toledo Refinery”) in Oregon, Ohio, on September 20, 2022, which resulted in the death of two BP employees, who were brothers. During an…
A fire erupted on Monday morning at the Aricell plant in Hwaseong city, located approximately 45km (28 miles) south of Seoul. Television broadcasts showed significant smoke and sporadic explosions as firefighters battled the blaze. Part of the building’s roof had collapsed. South Korea is a major manufacturer of lithium batteries, which are used in a…
On June the 21st, a fierce fire has consumed the Khartoum Oil Refinery, currently controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Reports indicate that the Civil Defence’s firefighting supplies are now exhausted. Eyewitnesses from the northern Omdurman countryside say the fires that started last Wednesday evening are the worst yet. The refinery, located on the…
Nine people have lost their lives and 46 others have been injured following explosions at a military ammunition depot in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena. The incident occurred on Tuesday night when a fire ignited a series of explosions at the depot, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Koulamallah Abderaman. Local media reported that the blasts began just…
On the 18th of June, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update on its investigation into a July 2023 explosion at the Dow Louisiana Operations’ Glycol II plant in Plaquemine, Louisiana, that resulted in the release of over 31,000 pounds of ethylene oxide (EtO), a known carcinogen. Multiple subsequent explosions and fires…
A leak from a Union Pacific tanker car carrying nitric acid led to evacuations and a highway closure lasting over two hours, multiple sources reported. At approximately 10 a.m., witnesses observed a railcar on the Union Pacific track emitting a chemical cloud. Responding to the incident were White County Emergency Management, the White County sheriff’s…
Residents near a chemical plant were instructed to close their windows and doors after a white mist was observed emanating from the facility at the Dow site in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. South Wales Police issued this precautionary advice due to the incident. Firefighters responded to the scene with multiple crews, reinforcing the police’s recommendations.…
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Late Wednesday, a significant fire ignited at the asphalt storage area of an oil refinery situated along the Erbil-Gwer road. No casualties have been reported, and efforts to control the fire are ongoing. Due to the fire’s intensity, about a dozen firefighting units are working to extinguish the flames. The cause…
A 37-year-old father of four, employed as a scaffolder by Altrad NSG, tragically lost his life while working at Tata’s Lostock Hall site. On 30 November 2016, during his work, Densmore stepped over a trough containing milk of lime heated to about 90 degrees Celsius. His right foot slipped on an unsecured lid covering the…
A significant fire erupted in a warehouse storing plastics and chemicals in Phetchaburi, necessitating the deployment of 15 fire trucks to combat the flames. Initial assessments suggest an electrical short circuit may have triggered the blaze. Police Colonel Thip Khengkhoom, head of Khao Yoi Police Station in Phetchaburi, coordinated the emergency response at the Universal…
Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it isdeploying a team of chemical incident investigators to investigate a release of highly toxic hydrofluoric acid (HF) that occurred last Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Honeywell International Fluorine Products facility in Geismar, LA, that seriously injured a worker there. Honeywell reported…
Last Thursday, a significant fire broke out at a chemical warehouse located on Mankoli Road in Bhiwandi, Thane, producing large clouds of dense smoke. Anjur Phata Station Incharge, Shailesh Shinde, reported that the fire brigade was alerted to the blaze at 5:10pm, following an emergency call about the incident at Pritesh Complex in Dapoda village.…
A tanker truck carrying hazardous materials exploded last Friday while traveling along I-10, injuring the driver and leading to an extended closure of the highway. The explosion occurred at 7:30 a.m. near Red Cloud Mine Road, east of Chiraco Summit, for reasons that are still unknown, according to Rob Roseen, a spokesperson for Cal Fire/Riverside…
Washington D.C. June 4, 2024 – The U.S. Chemical Safey and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced that it has deployed a team of chemical incident investigators to investigate the fatal fire that occurred last Thursday, May 30, at the TS USA liquid nitriding facility in downtown Chattanooga, TN. One person died after suffering severe burns…
On January 2, 2024, Japan Airlines (JAL) Flight 516 carrying 367 passengers and 12 crew members was landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo Japan. It collided with a smaller Coast Guard plane on the runway and both aircraft caught fire. Five of the six crew on board the smaller plane died in the collision. All…
Eleven people, including nine miners, died on Monday due to suffocation from a gas leakage in a coal mine near the Union Council Sanjedi area of Quetta. Balochistan Chief Inspector of Mine Abdul Ghani Baloch informed Dawn.com that among the deceased were one contractor and one mine manager. He added that all the victims were…
Two dead workers and more injured were the result of a hydrogen sulfide gas leak in one of the process plants of the Ingeniero Antonio M. Amor Refinery (RIAMA), last Friday afternoon. To date, no investigation has been made. Official information was issued by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), however, it emerged that the victims of the…
A worker at a Chattanooga facility has died following a chemical fire, as reported by state officials. Emergency crews arrived at TS USA, located off Riverfront Parkway, on Thursday morning and discovered the worker along with three others suffering from burn injuries. According to the Chattanooga Fire Department, the worker, whose identity remains undisclosed, was…
A devastating explosion at a chemical factory in western India has led to at least 10 deaths and over 60 injuries. The incident occurred on Thursday 23rd in Thane, a city near Mumbai, Maharashtra’s financial hub. The explosion originated from the factory’s boiler, igniting fires that spread to adjacent factories and residential buildings. Despite the…
The Texas Petrochemical Company (TPC Group) has admitted guilt to breaching the Clean Air Act in front of the US District Court for Eastern Texas, following its negligence that caused two explosions at its Port Neches plant in November 2019. The explosions, which occurred within 13 hours of each other, resulted in injuries to three…
The number of fatalities from the sugar factory explosion in eastern Tanzania has increased from 11 on Thursday to 13 on Friday, according to a local medical official. George Dilunga, head of the Emergency Department at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, reported that the death toll rose after two Tanzanian nationals succumbed to their injuries while receiving…
Dublin Airport reported on Sunday that twelve individuals were injured during a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Ireland due to turbulence. Despite the incident, the plane landed safely and on time. The flight, designated QR017 and operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, arrived just before 1 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), according to the…
Authorities successfully managed a fire that erupted at the Kilang Pertamina Internasional refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, according to officials. A significant fire occurred at an oil refinery in the port city of Balikpapan, Indonesia, early Saturday morning. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported, according to local news sources. Firefighters were able to bring the…
Shell has announced that a fire which erupted near its Gbaran Ubie gas facility in Nigeria’s Bayelsa state on Tuesday the 14th has been successfully extinguished. “We are pleased to report that the fire outside our Gbaran Central Processing Facility… was put out last night. A regulator-led Joint Investigation Visit is being organized to ascertain…
An aircraft belonging to Indonesia’s national airline had to perform an emergency landing after an engine caught fire shortly after departure. The Garuda Indonesia flight, which was en route from Makassar in Indonesia to Madinah in Saudi Arabia last Wednesday, encountered the issue with 468 passengers onboard. According to Garuda Indonesia, the Boeing 747-400 promptly…
On Wednesday morning, a tanker transporting sodium hydroxide exploded at the Royal Chemical facility in Macedonia, leading to three reported injuries, as stated by Macedonia Fire Chief Brian Ripley. Out of the three injured individuals, two were taken to Metro General Hospital in Cleveland. One of them sustained life-threatening burns, while the other suffered severe…
In a recent incident in Delhi’s Bawana area, a chemical factory experienced a blast and subsequent fire, resulting in injuries to seven individuals, as reported by authorities. According to Delhi Fire Services (DFS) chief Atul Garg, a distress call reporting a fire at a factory in Sector 1 of the Bawana industrial area was received…
A fatal incident occurred at the Map Ta Phut Tank Terminal Co Ltd (MTT) in Rayong on Thursday morning, resulting in one casualty due to an explosion and subsequent fire involving a pyrolysis gasoline (pygas) tank. The emergency response was triggered around 10:45 am when firefighters responded to the scene at the SCG Chemicals Plc…
Passengers experienced a harrowing ordeal when a Boeing 737 aircraft skidded off the runway at Senegal’s primary airport, resulting in injuries to 10 individuals. Video footage captured the chaotic scene as travelers evacuated the aircraft amidst visible distress. Some passengers fled with their belongings, while others utilized emergency slides amid audible screams in the background.…
A tragic incident unfolded at a sewage treatment plant near Palermo, Sicily, on May 6, resulting in the death of five workers due to toxic gas poisoning. Additionally, one worker was found unconscious and remains hospitalized in critical condition. Emergency responders were alerted to the scene at Casteldaccia, located approximately 12 miles (20 km) from…
A recent incident occurred at BASF’s expansive chemicals facility in Ludwigshafen, Germany, involving a hydrogen leak that resulted in a “brief ignition” around 10:40 pm on April 30th, promptly contained by the onsite fire department, according to an official company statement. The flames were swiftly extinguished using a specialized “turbo extinguisher” affixed to a fire…
A vapor cloud explosion and fire led to one fatality and two serious injuries. At least 28 other workers were injured. About 10,000 lb. (4500 kg.) of flammable isobutylene was released when a 3-inch (75mm) Y-strainer failed, likely due to thermal expansion. The vapor cloud ignited causing an explosion.This Beacon focuses on using piping materials…
Emergency services responded to an incident at a chemical plant on Denbigh Road in Mold on Tuesday afternoon, marked by multiple explosions. Nearby residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed as a precaution. Throughout May 1st, fire services remained on-site, and a portion of the A541 Denbigh Road near the facility was closed.…
U.S. Chemical Safety Board Applauds New National Fire Protection Association Guidance to Prevent Fires and Explosions Involving Hazardous Materials Washington, D.C. April 30, 2024 – Today, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) applauded the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) for taking new actions to prevent fires and explosions associated with hazardous materials.…
In south-western Cambodia, a devastating ammunition explosion at a military base has resulted in the tragic loss of 20 soldiers, along with several others injured, according to Prime Minister Hun Manet. Expressing profound shock, Hun Manet conveyed his sentiments through a Facebook post upon learning of the blast that occurred on Saturday afternoon in Kampong…
The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) is advocating for increased regulatory oversight following a recent gas pipeline rupture at an aging offshore platform in the Gippsland Basin off the Victorian coast. The incident, which occurred on April 6, 2024, at West Kingfish (WKF), operated by ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso, resulted in an uncontrolled release of condensate…
An incident occurred on Tuesday at an oil refinery in Duhok, situated in Iraqi Kurdistan, northern Iraq. According to a statement from a source within the Civil Defense Department, three individuals were injured during a fire incident at the oil refinery located in the Kwashe industrial area, located to the west of the Governorate. Emergency…
Equinor’s Hammerfest LNG plant, situated in the northern region of Norway, underwent an evacuation on 23rd April following a gas leak incident that arose during routine maintenance, as confirmed by the company. Operations at the plant were promptly ceased upon the discovery of the leak, with all 54 individuals present at the facility accounted for.…
An explosion resulting in the release of ammonia resulted in injuries to 160 individuals on April 18 in Chon Buri province, located in eastern Thailand. The incident occurred at an ice manufacturing facility, causing ammonia to spread beyond the immediate vicinity and affect individuals within a one-kilometre radius. The explosion at the Banglamung Ice Plant…
According to a report from state media outlet Xinhua, a tragic explosion at a chemical plant in the Ningxia region of northwest China has resulted in the loss of two lives and left four others injured. The incident took place on Thursday at the premises of Ningxia Baofeng Energy, a company listed on the Shanghai…
BAE Systems, the largest defense contractor in the UK and a prominent engineering firm, is conducting an investigation after an explosion occurred at its facility in Glascoed, Monmouthshire, South Wales, on Wednesday morning. A spokesperson representing the arms manufacturer confirmed that the incident took place at Glascoed facility but reassured that there were no reported…
A fire incident occurred on Norway’s Statfjord A oil and gas platform located in the North Sea during the early hours of Wednesday, according to operator Equinor EQNR.OL. The fire was successfully extinguished after approximately 90 minutes, Equinor confirmed. Prior to the fire outbreak, production had been halted due to scheduled maintenance, as per a…
At approximately 10:00 PM local time, a fire erupted at a Scottish battery recycling plant, prompting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to advise nearby residents to remain indoors with windows and doors closed as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries stemming from the incident. Videos and photos circulated on social media…
A blast followed by a fire on Wednesday at a French factory handling hazardous materials resulted in at least one individual sustaining critical injuries, as reported by local authorities. The exact cause behind the explosion, which produced a large plume of gray smoke visible across the vicinity, is presently under investigation. Firefighters swiftly brought the…
Reports indicate that a devastating explosion at a hydroelectric plant in northern Italy has resulted in the loss of at least three lives, with five others sustaining injuries. According to the Associated Press, the latest update reveals that four individuals are still unaccounted for following the incident. Officials from the firefighting brigade described the challenging…
MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s national oil company Pemex confirmed the loss of one contractor’s life and the severe injury of two others in an offshore platform fire, according to a statement released on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon on the Akal-B platform in the southern Gulf of Mexico, a key hub for Pemex’s…
Washington, D.C. – April 4, 2024 – The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has initiated investigations into two separate incidents involving toxic chemicals released at facilities in Louisiana in 2023. The incidents under scrutiny include the discharge of hydrogen fluoride (HF) and chlorine at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in…
Phillips 66 released a statement affirming that operations at the refinery remain uninterrupted despite the recent incident. Two employees sustained injuries and were promptly transported to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, both individuals are anticipated to recover fully. The company has committed to launching an immediate investigation into the incident to ascertain its underlying causes…
Six individuals are currently unaccounted for and presumed deceased following a devastating incident in Baltimore, where a container ship collided with the iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge, resulting in its collapse. The Coast Guard has ceased its search efforts and shifted focus to recovery operations. Stretching over 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles), the bridge suffered irreparable…
The Valero Benicia Refinery has disclosed detailed information regarding the incident that led to the release of an unpleasant odor into the city of Benicia on February 24th and has formally concluded its investigation. The sequence of events unfolded on Friday, February 23rd when a gas turbine malfunctioned in the Benicia Refinery Fluid Catalytic Cracker…
The Cardon refinery in Venezuela experienced a disruption in its operations when a fire broke out in the early hours of Friday (22 March), causing injuries to two workers. According to insiders familiar with refinery operations, the fire ignited around 5 a.m. local time following a significant explosion and was brought under control a few…
Tragedy struck when a fire erupted at a chemical plant in Jaipur, Rajasthan, resulting in the loss of six lives and leaving one individual injured, as per reports from local news outlets. Jaipur District Collector, Prakash Rajpurohit, disclosed that the fire originated following an explosion within the factory’s boiler. Regrettably, one of the two injured…
An incident unfolded in Defiance, Ohio, where emergency responders from the Defiance Fire Department and Police Department swiftly reacted to reports of an explosion around 4:00 PM local time. Upon their arrival, it became evident that visible smoke and flames engulfed the facility, with signs of structural damage indicating an explosion had transpired, as stated…
An unfortunate incident unfolded at Perenco’s Becuna platform located on the Simba field offshore Gabon on March 20, 2024, resulting in a fire outbreak. Initial reports indicated two individuals sustained injuries, while five others were reported missing. Prompt evacuation of the injured workers to the shore was conducted, and unharmed personnel were relocated to a…
Phillips 66 refinery officials in Billings have disclosed the findings of their investigation into the events that led to a series of fires emitting black smoke on February 9th. In reports furnished to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality following a public information request, senior environmental consultant Matt Evans of Phillips 66 revealed that hydrocarbons,…
Tragedy struck as a South Korean-flagged tanker overturned off the coast of Japan, resulting in the loss of seven crew members, as confirmed by authorities. Out of the nine crew members rescued from the distressed vessel, one survivor was found, while the condition of another remains uncertain, as stated by Ryoto Katamura, an official from…
The event transpired following a fire outbreak around 06:20 at the premises. Reports from Tunisian media outlets suggest that the fire ignited due to a gas leakage during the process of refilling gas cylinders. Both AGIL personnel and local firefighting services promptly responded to the scene, successfully containing the fire before it could spread beyond…
In a strategic move to bolster safety measures, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently made key appointments, signaling a shift towards a more data-driven approach under the leadership of Chair Jennifer Homendy. Warren Randolph, formerly with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), joins the NTSB as its inaugural Chief Data Officer. With a background…
A significant fire has erupted along one of the principal trunklines in a corridor connecting Russia’s gas-rich Yamal-Nenets autonomous region to West Siberia. These pipelines play a crucial role in transporting the majority of gas extracted by the state-controlled Gazprom from Yamal-Nenets to clients in the European part of Russia, as well as to export…
What happened – a process suddenly starts operating erratically and shuts down. It could be an instrument failure, but what really caused the upset? During an unplanned shutdown, the focus may be on restarting the operation. Pressures to return the process to operation may not allow thorough troubleshooting. The quick solution is to ‘do what…
In recent developments, local authorities have announced that the fire at Exxon Mobil’s Port Jerome-Gravenchon refinery in northern France, which ignited earlier on Monday, has been successfully brought under control. According to a statement from the Seine-Maritime prefecture, the fire originated at a gasoline distillation unit around 3:30 p.m. (1430 GMT), resulting in the emission…
United Airlines encountered a series of flight-related incidents in Texas over the past week, prompting attention and concern. On Monday, an alarming incident occurred when an engine of one of the airline’s planes caught fire mid-flight. Subsequently, on Thursday, a separate flight faced a perilous situation as it lost a tire during its journey. Additionally,…
Continued efforts are underway to extinguish an engine room fire aboard the MSC Sao Paulo V, with the Canadian Coast Guard overseeing operations. The fire, which was first reported on Sunday afternoon, March 3, persists, prompting ongoing monitoring and response measures. Positioned in a sheltered area outside the main shipping lane near the entrance to…
In a tragic incident on Thursday, one individual lost their life while three others sustained injuries due to a fire outbreak at a private oil refinery situated in the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, as reported by the official news agency IRNA. The fire erupted around 11:00 a.m. local time (0730 GMT) when…
In the early hours of Wednesday, an imminent catastrophe was narrowly averted at Antwerp’s Waaslandhaven in Kallo, all thanks to the vigilance of a Polish tanker driver and the prompt response of the local Fire Service. Transporting 27,000 liters of petrol, the driver swiftly detected a technical malfunction in his trailer shortly after departing from…
In Kasrawad tehsil of Khargone district, a fire erupted at an oil refinery situated in Peepal Jhopa, resulting in injuries to four individuals. According to the local authorities, the fire broke out at the Asian Organics facility in Peepal Jhopa around 5:00 pm for reasons yet to be determined. The refinery processes old crude oil…
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