Taiwan Gas Blasts Likely Caused By Faulty Pipe
Around midnight Thursday, a series of explosions shook Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city by population and a major petrochemical hub. The blasts—which were followed by fires reaching as high as 10 stories according to some witnesses—destroyed homes, ripped off manhole covers and tore open several roads. Television footage showed cars and a firetruck collapsing into craters blown open by the explosions.
The latest tally shows the blasts killed at least 27 people, injured 286 and left two missing, making it Taiwan's deadliest gas leak explosion. Four firefighters were among those who died. Many streets were still littered with rubble on Saturday and thousands of homes remained without water and electricity.
While an investigation to pin down the source of the leak is still continuing, the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau said its records indicate that on the night of the explosions, a LCY pipe was the only one that was transmitting Propene in the area. Propene is a highly inflammable chemical used to make polyester and the only type of gas detected at the explosion sites.
"Our inspection indicates that LCY's pipeline showed irregularities around 8 p.m. (local time). The amount of flow in the pipe dropped from 22 tons per hour to 19 tons, and was even down to 1 ton at one point," said Chen Chin-te, the head of the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau. He said the sudden drop in the flow of gas meant that either the pipe was broken or that there was a leakage.
Mr. Chen said the company failed to notify the proper authority when it detected the irregularities.
Without commenting on the government's initial findings, LCY Chairman Lee Bowei said the authority should also look into other possible causes such as whether the disaster was caused by a leakage of other types of gas or whether the pipe had been damaged earlier by construction work nearby.
The chemical producer also in a terse statement said it would fully cooperate with the authorities and shoulder any responsibility if necessary.
Around midnight Thursday, a series of explosions shook Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city by population and a major petrochemical hub. The blasts—which were followed by fires reaching as high as 10 stories according to some witnesses—destroyed homes, ripped off manhole covers and tore open several roads. Television footage showed cars and a firetruck collapsing into craters blown open by the explosions.
The latest tally shows the blasts killed at least 27 people, injured 286 and left two missing, making it Taiwan's deadliest gas leak explosion. Four firefighters were among those who died. Many streets were still littered with rubble on Saturday and thousands of homes remained without water and electricity.
While an investigation to pin down the source of the leak is still continuing, the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau said its records indicate that on the night of the explosions, a LCY pipe was the only one that was transmitting Propene in the area. Propene is a highly inflammable chemical used to make polyester and the only type of gas detected at the explosion sites.
"Our inspection indicates that LCY's pipeline showed irregularities around 8 p.m. (local time). The amount of flow in the pipe dropped from 22 tons per hour to 19 tons, and was even down to 1 ton at one point," said Chen Chin-te, the head of the Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau. He said the sudden drop in the flow of gas meant that either the pipe was broken or that there was a leakage.
Mr. Chen said the company failed to notify the proper authority when it detected the irregularities.
Without commenting on the government's initial findings, LCY Chairman Lee Bowei said the authority should also look into other possible causes such as whether the disaster was caused by a leakage of other types of gas or whether the pipe had been damaged earlier by construction work nearby.
The chemical producer also in a terse statement said it would fully cooperate with the authorities and shoulder any responsibility if necessary.
