Incident Report
Subject: Death Toll in South Russian Chemical Plant Explosion Rises Date of Email reporting Incident: Fri 04/04/2008Report Detail: Death toll in south Russian chemical plant explosion rises ROSTOV-ON-DON/STAVROPOL, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - The number of dead in an explosion and a fire at a petrochemical plant in Budennovsk in south Russia's Stavropol Territory has risen to three, the local emergencies services said on Friday. A tank containing propylene, a colorless and odorless inflammable gas, exploded at approximately 10.00 a.m. Moscow time (07.00 a.m. GMT). The fire was extinguished half an hour later. Three workers were also injured in the accident, and two are currently in intensive care with severe burns. A third worker has also been admitted to hospital, but is said to be in a stable condition. The dead bodies are currently being identified. "The explosion poses no health threat to local residents," an emergencies ministry spokesman said, adding that no local residents had sought medical help so far. No leaks of poisonous substances, oil or oil products have so far been reported near the plant. However, eyewitnesses from a neighboring residential district have complained of headaches and breathing problems due to the thick smoke. The petrochemical plant is a LUKoil subsidiary, and the company, Russia's largest independent oil producer, has said it will render all necessary assistance to the families of those killed and injured. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080404/103750535.html Three killed by blast at LUKOIL chemical plant MOSCOW, April 4 (Reuters) - A fire killed three people on Friday at a chemical plant owned by Russian oil major LUKOIL the company said. LUKOIL said that three other people were hospitalised after a fire broke out at the polymerisation reactor at the Stavrolen plant in the southern Russian Stavropol region.The plant is operated by LUKOIL's petrochemical unit, LUKOIL Neftekhim. "Sadly, resulting from the fire three workers of the plant were killed and three have been hospitalised," the firm said in a statement. It added that the plant has temporarily halted polypropylene production. Other units at the plant were working as normal. The incident caused neither environmental damage nor leakage of oil and oil products, LUKOIL said. Earlier this week a fire broke out at LUKOIL's largest refinery, Norsi in central Russia, causing no damage or reduction in output. LUKOIL says on its Web site that Stavrolen, one of LUKOIL's four petrochemical plants, produced 672,900 tonnes of petrochemical products, including 267,800 tonnes of polyethylene and 126,900 tonnes of polypropylene, in 2006.
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