Explosion in a chemical plant
In a chemical plant, 3 empty rail tanker parked on the unloading zone of unit 46 were replaced by 3 full tanker cars: 1 carrying methyl mercaptan (MM) and 2 with chlorine. At 3 am, the 2 chlorine cars were[...]
Acrylonitrile leak on a tank
Inside a synthetic fibre and plastics factory, a 600-litre leak of raw acrilonitrile (ACN) containing 10% hydrocyanic acid (HCN) spilled from a black steel (black PVD) tank located in a retention basin and fitted with a stainless steel extension and[...]
Water pollution
A leak occurred on the lower drainage pipe of a 16-m³ tank containing 10.3 m³ of sulphuric acid. The tank operating under 2 bar of pressure was feeding a tanning workshop. Further downstream, plant effluent was neutralised using lime milk[...]
Hydrocyanic acid leak in a chemical plant
Inside a synthetic fibre factory, a leak estimated at 4,000 litres of acid solution, containing 200 kg of hydrocyanic acid (HCN), occurred within an acrylonitrile production unit. This leak was situated at the level of a pipeline running between a[...]
Accident on a cooling box in an incineration plant
The lower part of a waste feed chute on a furnace (capacity: 28 tonnes/hr) at an incineration plant exploded. A technician was violently thrown and sustained serious injuries. Water under 3 bar of pressure cooled the base of the chute,[...]
NH3 leak in a slaughterhouse
In the attic of a slaughterhouse, 2.2 tonnes of ammonia (NH3) intended for recycling back to the unit leaked onto a solenoid valve on the low-pressure return circuit of a ground beef freezer. Employees were evacuated for 24 hrs, 40[...]
Ammunition explosion
A detonation occurred during the preparation of munitions destruction furnaces by a specialised firm at a military installation. These operations, performed by a team of 5 professionals, consisted of preparing holes and filling them with munitions intended for destruction. A technician[...]
Explosion in a refinery
An extremely violent explosion occurred at 5:20 am inside a refinery operating normally; this blast, felt up to 30 km away, was followed by several others. The internal emergency plan was activated at 5:45 and rescue teams called to the scene.[...]
Series of explosions in the city sewers
An explosion occurred around 10 am in the sewer line of Mexico's second largest city amidst a metropolitan area; this blast was followed by a series of explosions between 10:30 and 11:30 am. Then very early the next morning, two[...]
Explosion following a refinery leak
An explosion occurred around 1:00 am in a single-family dwelling. On their return from a trip, the homeowner by drawing hot water from a tap caused the water heater to turn on, causing ignition of the hydrocarbon vapours that had[...]
