Fire rages after explosion at oil refinery in southern Taiwan
- No one was injured or trapped in incident at Kaohsiung plant, officials say
- CPC Dalin Refinery spokesman says impact on output was ‘very limited’
Fire was seen raging above the plant and thick smoke billowed into the sky for more than an hour, according to a video posted on YouTube. Residents from several kilometres away were able to see the explosion.
The fire broke out at 10.35pm local time in Siaogang district. The city’s fire department said the blaze was put out early on Friday and no one was injured or trapped as per an initial investigation.
CPC spokesman Ray Chang said there was “very limited impact” on the company’s output, as it has several other such units in its facilities across the island.
“We are moving quickly to look into the cause of the incident and make improvements,” Chang said, adding that an initial investigation pointed to a gas leak but further checks were needed.
Kaohsiung mayor Che Chi-mai asked CPC to suspend its operations at the plant until an inspection was completed, adding that labour and environmental authorities had imposed a total fine of NT$5.3 million (US$165,000) on the company.
The fire occurred at the resid hydrotreater No 3 unit, CPC’s Chang said. The unit, which has a capacity of 40,000 barrels per day according to Refinitiv Eikon, is used to remove sulphur from oil products.
The incident happened during routine maintenance at the plant, the city government said.