Subject:South Korea - Chemical Plant Explosion Kills 7 in Yeosu
Date
of Email report:Fri 15/03/2013
Report Detail:
Fire-fighters examine the scene after a massive explosion ripped through a chemical plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province on Thursday
A massive explosion at a chemical plant in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, Thursday left seven workers dead and 13 injured. There was a similar explosion that killed one person at the complex in 2003, and the cause of Thursday's incident is thought to be inadequate safety precautions. Police believe that lingering gas in a storage tank reacted with a flammable substance and exploded. A fire broke out after the explosion but was contained in 10 minutes. "Rather than the fire, it was the shock from the massive explosion that caused the high death toll," police said. Many workers are severely burned, so the number of deaths will likely rise.
The explosion took place ata high-density polyethylene plant in the city's industrial complex owned by Daelim Industrial at about 9 p.m. Yonhap news agency said the workers had been engaged in welding when the tank storing the plastic polyethylene exploded.
