Firefighters extinguished the fire – any material released pose no health risk to public
Four people have been killed in a major explosion at an oil refinery in south-west Wales. It is understood that two petrol tankers collided inside the Chevron plant in Pembroke Dock, Dyfed, on Thursday, killing both the drivers.
One of the tankers was completely destroyed in the explosion, according to Mid and West Wales fire and rescue service.
Chevron confirmed that the four people who died were contractors and said another worker was receiving treatment in hospital for serious injuries.
Greg Hanggi, the refinery general manager, said: “This news is utterly devastating. The loss of our co-workers has come as a huge shock to us all. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go out to their families. We will ensure that all employees and contractors are fully supported throughout this difficult time.”
He added: “We will take every step possible to determine the series of events that led to this tragic incident and ensure that any lessons learnt from it will be integrated into the business and shared with our industry partners.”
Police said the blast appeared to be a “tragic industrial accident”. Chief Superintendent Gwyn Thomas of Dyfed Powys police said his officers were informing the relatives of the workers who died: “Paramedics have confirmed that four people lost their lives as a result of the incident. A police investigation is now under way, with the Health and Safety Executive, and early indications show that this was a tragic industrial incident.”
“Police officers have secured the scene and colleagues from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue are working to make the site safe to enable a multi-agency investigation into the cause of the explosion to commence.”
Fire crews from around the area were called to the site of the explosion along with paramedics.
Local people reported hearing the explosion and seeing a plume of black smoke at around 6.20pm.
Marcus Lutwyche, owner of a shop in the village of Angle, told Walesonline: “I ran to the front and saw a huge plume of smoke. It was black and filled the sky. It must have been 50 or so metres wide.”
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Chris Davies said any debris thrown into the air did not pose a health risk to members of the public.
“We can confirm that any material released into the atmosphere as a result of the blast were immediately dispersed. The wind was blowing off shore, away from residential areas. Members of the public can be reassured that there is no ongoing risk to health as a result of the incident.”
Earlier this year the refinery, which is one of the largest in western Europe and employs 1,400 people, was sold. Valero agreed to buy the refinery site for $730m dollars (458m) and another $1bn (611m) for assets including Chevron’s petrol stations in the UK and Ireland.
Source: The Guardian
