Oil leak causes fatal explosions in China

Explosions in Qingdao, China caused by a leaking oil pipeline has today (Friday November 22nd) killed 22 people. Oil leaked from a pipeline owned by Sinopec Corp in the Chinese port city, resulting in a fire and subsequent explosion. As well as those that have died due to the incident, a number of other bystanders have also been injured while oil has leaked into the sea.

A rupture in the pipeline was located in the morning and it leaked oil for around 15 minutes before the flow was shut off. Oil leaked into the street and the nearby sea, causing contamination. As workers were attempting to clean up the leaked substance, the oil caught alight, resulting in explosions in two different areas of the city, according to the Chinese government.

It took several hours to bring the fire under control, which resulted in all work at the port, ship brokers and state media said. One of the explosions in the underground pipe created a large hole in the above roadway close to a residential apartment building, according to images released by local media.

According to the local government's microblog, workers were attempting to repair the leaks in the pipeline when the explosion occurred at 10.30 am local time (2.30). The microblog also stated that the oil that had flowed into the port had also caught fire, causing more problems. Oil has spread over an area of the sea measuring around 3,000 square metres, according to government officials.

The Quingdao Environmental Protection Bureau stated that although barriers had been placed in an attempt to halt the flow of oil into the sea, gas and oil from a storm sewer caused the second explosion, which was what the caused the fire on the water.

Residents of the city are being assured by the government that the explosions have not affected any military facilities or any of the petrochemical plant facilities in the area. It also stated that air quality has not been affected by the leak, fire or explosions.