| Blast at Bangkok oil refinery sparks massive fire |
Bangkok An explosion at an oil refinery in an industrial area of Bangkok sparked a massive fire early on Wednesday, sending a thick column of smoke into the air that could be seen across the Thai capital.
Firefighters are struggling to contain blaze. There were no reported injuries in the blast and subsequent fire, which prompted the government to close the 120,000 barrels-a-day refinery for at least 30 days.
It wasn’t known how many workers were there at the time.
Chaveewan Kiatcho-kchaikul, a spokeswoman for the operator Bangchak Petroleum, said that no injuries were reported in the blaze, which had been brought under control.
“We are investigating the cause of fire and will inform the public immediately,” she said.
Early investigations by operator Bangchak Petroleum suggested the blast was caused by an oil or gas leak at around 7:30am, according to the company’s president Anusorn Sangnimnuan.
“There are no injuries. We assume oil or gas leaked out and somehow it caught fire,” he said, adding that the blaze was under control by mid-morning.
“I don’t think the cause was human error, it was caused by equipment.”
He also said the total damage was estimated at about 100 million baht (more than $3 million). He added that the damage will be covered by insurance and will not hurt the refinery’s revenue.
Emergency services said there had been no casualties, but Bangkok authorities distributed masks to thousands of nearby residents to prevent smoke inhalation.
The fire was sending flames and plumes of thick black smoke into the sky over the city.
The blast could be heard several kilometres away.
The blast prompted the government to close an 80,000-barrel-per-day crude distillation unit at the refinery for at least 30 days, Bangkok Post reported.
Industry Minister Pongsawat Sawadiwat said the refinery will be shut for at least a month.
“Initially the refinery will be shut down for 30 days to investigate the cause of fire,” he said, adding that health officials will check risks of respiratory damage among the local community.
He said he would discuss plans for relocating the Bangchak oil refinery or nearby communities with Energy Minister Arak Chonlathanon.
Responding to the blast, which woke residents and sent a plume of acrid smoke into the sky, Bangkok authorities distributed masks to thousands of nearby residents to prevent smoke inhalation.
The Bangchak oil refinery, which employs around 600 people, is located in a large industrial estate in a sprawling suburb. It is among the country’s biggest refineries with 120,000 barrels of oil processed at the site every day, a company official said.
Agencies
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