Six Workers Killed in Storage Tank Explosion at Refinery

Six workers were killed and several others received injuries in an explosion Thursday morning at a refinery in the Czech Replublic. Officials said the blast originated in a storage vessel at the Unipetrol plant in Kralupy nad Vitavou

“There was an explosion at the storage tank but no subsequent fire in the Kralupy refinery,” a company spokesperson told Reuters. “The situation is under control and there is no other danger. There was no leakage of dangerous substances.”

Unipetrol, one of the largest refining and petrochemical firm in the Czech Republic, produces a range of products from motor oil to polyolefins. The company’s two refineries in the country have the capacity to convert 8.7 million tn/yr of crude oil.

A local official said in coverage by the Associated Press that the blast may have occurred as the storage tank was being cleaned. The refinery was scheduled for a 14-day period of upgrades and maintenance starting March 27, Reuters reported.

Media reports said the explosion happened at the company’s refinery, but Unipetrol said in a statement on its website that the location of the incident was a road terminal in Kralupy nad Vitavou and that the blast was not related to the work at the refinery.

Click here for information about the upcoming International Powder & Bulk Solids Conference/Exhibition

For more news headlines, articles, and equipment reviews, visit our Equipment Zones