Fires and explosions

Citation

(2007), "Fires and explosions", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2007.07316cac.003

Fires and explosions

22 October 2005Delta State, Nigeria

Some 60 suspected oil thieves were feared dead in the southern Nigerian state of Delta when fuel pipes punctured by them to siphon fuel were gutted by fire, state media reported yesterday. The oil thieves met their death when the fire, which occurred at about 0100 on Monday (October 17) at a river that crossed the Ekpan village, destroyed ten fiber speed boats and a large number of small wooden barges, the official News Agency of Nigeria reported. Three big barges were also partially destroyed as the fire engulfed the pipelines of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of state-run oil firm NNPC, it said. Head of the PPMC Lanre Onasagha, said that his department later put out the fire, but could not give the exact number of those burnt in the inferno. “It is impossible to quote as the river has washed away some of the dead by the time the fire was put out, it is hard to tell but many people died.” Nigeria, the world’s eighth largest oil exporter, loses about 100,000 barrels of crude per day to oil theft. As Onasagha explained, the thieves usually came through the river and planted valves on the pipelines, ran hoses through them into the barges and loaded their wares.

24 October 2005Coal Mine, Guizhou Province, China

An explosion at a coal mine in southern China killed 15 miners and injured three, China’s official news agency said today. The explosion occurred yesterday at the Zhongxing Colliery in Guizhou province’s Qinglong County, the Xinhua News Agency said. Eight of the 41 miners working underground at the time of the explosion were killed instantly, Xinhua said. Seven others were trapped in the shaft and were presumed dead 20 hours after the blast, it said. The cause of the accident was under investigation.

27 October 2005Detention Centre, Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

At least ten people have died, and 15 are injured and in hospital, after a fire set buildings ablaze at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. The blaze broke out soon after midnight in a detention centre at the airport, which police said houses mainly suspected drugs traffickers. The Dutch news agency ANP reported that it was not contained for several hours, and said the death toll could rise. The building houses people awaiting deportation from the Netherlands. ANP said that there were around 350 people being held in the detention centre when the fire broke out. The cause of the blaze is still unknown.

27 October 2005Gold Mine, Mount Diwata, Philippines

At least 18 miners were killed and dozens of others were feared dead following an explosion inside a gold mine in the southern Philippines, officials said today. The Office of Civil Defence in Manila said at least ten miners had been rescued following the blast late yesterday inside a mine operated by JB Management and Mining in the mountain village of Mount Diwata in Compostela Valley province. Village chief Franco Tito said one survivor told him that a cache of dynamite ignited inside the tunnel about 2220 hrs, yesterday. Tito said mine officials refused to let local villagers and even police and soldiers to go inside their compound to help in the rescue. He held out little hope of finding more survivors among about 50 people believed to have been inside the tunnel because this is an explosion, not a tunnel collapse.

2 November 2005Coal Mine, Shanxi Province, China

An explosion in a coal mine in northern China’s Shanxi province has killed 17 people, the State Administration for Work Safetysaid today. The blast happened on Monday (October 31) in the Fenhemao Coal Mine in Zhanglianggou town, Yuanping city, killing all 13 people working in the mine at the time, the Administration said. Two rescuers also died because of insufficient oxygen in the mine shaft and the thick smoke inside, the administration said. The blast also damaged a neighbouring mine, killing two people there, the Xinhua news agency said.

28 October 2005Coal Mine, Xinjiang Region, China

Sixteen miners have become trapped in a coal mine in China’s north-west after a suspected explosion. The Xinhua News Agency says mine safety officials have been sent to the mine in the Xinjiang region.

28 October 2005Gold Mine, Mount Diwata, Philippines

At least five people were dead and up to 100 feared trapped after an explosion and cave-in at a gold mine in the southern Philippines, officials said today. Toxic fumes were keeping rescuers away two days after five bodies and 11 injured miners were pulled out after the accident in the Mount Diwalwal area on the southern island of Mindanao late on Wednesday (October 26), said village chief Franco Tito. Villagers said a loud explosion was heard before the so-called Sunshine tunnel collapsed. The Office of Civil Defence said today an estimated 100 people were trapped, but there were lower estimates from other sources. Radio reports yesterday had said 18 people had died and that 50 were trapped and feared dead. “We’re not really sure how many people were trapped inside,” Mr Tito said. “I talked with three survivors and they told me there could be 50 to 70 people inside when the tunnel collapsed.” Rescue teams could not penetrate the mine because of fumes, he added. The poisonous gas had seeped into two nearby tunnels, the entrances to which are about 800 metres up the side of a mountain. “They said they have no special suits and equipment to battle the thick smoke and toxic fumes from inside the tunnel,” Mr Tito said. “They told us they will come back in two days, waiting for the poisonous gas to blow away.” Edilberto Arreza, regional director of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said only 11 people were believed trapped. The other two tunnels had been evacuated for safety reasons. Mr Arreza said as many as 50 people were initially feared to have been trapped in an area where hundreds of small-scale miners have been in operation for decades, but that most of the workers had been accounted for. “Rescuers are pumping out all the gases in the mine with ventilation fans,” he said. “We might be able to enter this afternoon.”

29 October 2005

The death toll from a cave-in at a gold mine in the southern Philippines has risen to 12 after rescuers pulled out six more bodies from the rubble, officials said today. Rescue teams found the bodies late yesterday near the mouth of the tunnel that had caved in after an explosion on Wednesday (October 26), Reynaldo Espanola, an official of the company operating the collapsed tunnel on Mindanao island, said. “We’re only trying to account for seven more people,” he told reporters. “We’re not giving up until we find them, hoping that they’re still alive.” Five bodies and 11 injured miners had been pulled out on Wednesday night. A sixth body was taken from a second tunnel where toxic fumes had seeped in on Thursday. Espanola, vice president of JB Mining and Management Corp., said the company had been operating the 1.8 km-long Sunshine tunnel for more than ten years without any accident, producing about 20-30 tonnes of gold daily.

28 November 2005Coal Mine, Qitaihe, Heilongjiang Province, China

An explosion in a coal mine in China’s north-eastern province of Heilongjiang has killed 30 miners and trapped another 149, state media said today. The blast was reported yesterday at Dongfeng Coal Mine, run by a branch of the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining (Group) Co. Ltd, the Xinhua news agency quoted the provincial coal mine safety administration as saying. More than 40 miners escaped overnight, but 221 were working underground at the time of the blast, Xinhua said. Investigators said a coal-dust explosion had knocked out all ventilation systems in the pit, it said, adding that the main system resumed operation today

28 November 2005

An explosion tore through a coal mine in northeast China, leaving at least 51 miners dead and 100 missing, state media reported today. Some 220 miners were underground when the blast occurred late yesterday in Qitaihe, a city in Heilongjiang province, the official China News Service said, citing the local coal mine safety administration. Seventy miners had been rescued by today, the news agency said. It said the cause of the blast was under investigation.

28 November 2005

Coal dust caught fire in a mine in north-east China, sparking an explosion that killed at least 68 people and left 79 missing, the government said today. Seventy four miners had been rescued by today. Xinhua said a 269-member rescue team was searching for the trapped miners.

28 November 2005

An explosion at a coal mine in remote north-eastern China has killed 134 workers and left another 15 trapped underground, China News Service said, amid frantic rescue efforts to find survivors. After a day of intense rescue efforts, 72 survivors had been pulled from the rubble, said the semi-official China News Service. China News Service said rescue teams of 380 people were involved in the search for those still trapped.

30 November 2005

The death toll from Sunday’s (November 27) explosion at a Heilongjiang Province coal mine rose to 146 yesterday as rescuers found the bodies of eight more workers. Rescuers continued to search for the remaining five missing miners, but their survival was doubtful because of high concentrations of poisonous gas in the underground tunnels, said Song Kaicheng, an engineer at the Qitaihe branch of the Longmei Mining Group) Co. Ltd, owner of the mine where the explosion occurred. When the blast ripped through the Dongfeng Coal Mine in Qitaihe at 2140 on Sunday, 221 miners were working underground, said Zhang Chengxiang, director of the provincial coal mine safety bureau. More than 70 were rescued as some 380 men were sent down into the mine to locate the stranded workers. Investigators said the accident was caused by a coal-dust explosion, which knocked out all ventilation systems in the pit. The main ventilation system resumed operation on Monday morning, said Zhang. Shi Guicheng, deputy president of the Qimei Group General Hospital, said 47 of the rescued miners were suffering from gas poisoning. “Many of the injured are recovering after treatment in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber,” said Shi, who added that some miners were also suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. One of the miners suffered head injuries, and he was also treated in hospital for gas poisoning, said Shi. Shi said four additional medical specialists were scheduled to join the three who are treating the injured miners. The state-owned mine, founded in 1956, produces half a million tons of coal a year. The family of each victim will receive compensation ranging from yuan 200,000-220,000. China News Service said efforts to identify the victims’ bodies would start today.

30 November 2005

The death toll from Sunday’s (November 27) explosion at the Dongfeng coal mine rose to 161 late today, with at least ten miners and possibly 33 missing. Early reports said 221 were underground when the accident occurred, based on the number of miners’ lamps handed out, but state media said the official attendance roll indicated 254 workers were on duty. The explosion was blamed on coal dust that ignited, state media said, but there was no official word on whether misconduct or human error was suspected.

1 December 2005

Chinese authorities have shut down a state-owned colliery in north-east China and detained top officials after 164 miners died in an explosion, state media reported today. State-owned Dongfeng coal mine run by a branch of the Heilongjiang Longmei Mining Group Co Ltd, a conglomerate of four major coal firms in north-eastern Heilongjiang province, was hit by a blast late on Sunday (November 27). The coal mine operator and the party chief of the Dongfeng coal mine were removed from posts and detained by police for investigation, the Beijing News said. The general manager of Longmei Group’s Qitaihe branch was also dismissed, Xinhua News Agency said. The death toll includes 162 miners underground and two women who had been working in a generator room at ground level. Seven others were still missing. Xinhua said there were 242 miners underground rather than the previously reported figure of 221. “Due to the very disorderly management of the Dongfeng coal mine, the actual number of miners underground is very different from that reported,” the Beijing News quoted a coal mine safety supervision spokesman as saying.

8 December 2005Coal Mine, Tangshan, Hebei Province, China

An explosion tore through a coal mine in northern China yesterday, leaving at least 54 workers dead and another 22 missing, the government said. Yesterday’s explosion occurred at the privately run Liuguantun Colliery in Tangshan, a city in Hebei province, when 186 miners were underground, the official Xinhua News Agency said, increasing the number of workers underground from a previously reported 123. Thirty-one miners were immediately rescued but three later died. The bodies of 51 miners had been recovered from the mine by early today, bringing the death toll to 54, it said. Rescuers were searching for 22 still trapped in the mine.

9 December 2005

The death toll from China’s latest mining disaster has risen to 74, as rescue workers searched for at least 32 other miners still missing and grieving relatives crowded around the colliery. A day after a powerful gas blast ripped through the Liuguantun coal mine near Tangshan in the northern province of Hebei, some family members were growing desperate at the lack of information. A nurse at the nearby Tanggang Hospital said about 20 injured miners had been brought in since the explosion. Some had suffered horrible burns, according to a witness who saw them at the hospital.

7 December 2005Factory, East Delhi Area, New Delhi, India

At least 12 people have been burnt to death in a major fire that engulfed a cloth factory in an east Delhi area. The blaze erupted at around 1115, IST, and soon spread through the three-storey building in Vishwas Nagar area in Patparganj. “The fire started in the second floor of the building where under garments were being manufactured and packaged,” said Vijay Bahadur, Divisional Officer (East) of the Fire Services. Firemen battled for over two hours before bringing the fire under control. Twelve charred bodies have been recovered from the premises and efforts are underway to identify them. When the fire started, it blocked the only exit of the building and escape for the people working inside. Four people managed to jump out of a window of the building to save themselves. They are suffering from burn injuries and have been admitted in Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh each to the family of those who were killed. The building, located in a congested lane, had no fire safety measures in place. And the fire has once again brought into focus the hazards of running factories in densely populated residential areas.

12 December 2005

The owner of the garment factory in east Delhi, where 12 people were killed in a fire last Wednesday (December 7), was arrested in Delhi today, police said. Rakesh Grover, the owner of the factory in Vishwas Nagar, was arrested from east Delhi, they said. Jitender Grover, the manager, and Harkishan, a unit in charge, of the factory were arrested on Friday. M.K. Singh, who was in charge of the unit, had been arrested on Wednesday night. Twelve people, including four women, were charred to death and two persons injured in the fire.

16 December 2005Hospital, Liaoyuan, China

A fire at the largest hospital in the north-eastern Chinese city of Liaoyuan has killed at least 33 people, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Xinhua quoted a provincial government official as saying rescuers found 19 bodies at the scene and 14 other people died after they were transferred to other hospitals for treatment. It said all the victims were patients at Liaoyuan’s City Central Hospital. The cause of the blaze and the extent of the damage were not immediately known. Liaoyuan is about 120 km south-west of Changchun, capital of Jilin Province. Last month, an explosion at a chemical plant in Jilin spilled 100 tonnes of cancer-causing benzene compounds into the Songhua river and forced nearby Harbin city to suspend water supplies for four days. A police official said that provincial leaders rushed to the scene of the hospital fire. He said its cause was under investigation. A witness said scores of patients were evacuated. Some people were seen jumping from burning buildings, Xinhua quoted witnesses as saying. Fire engines from Changchun and nearby Yitong county were mobilised to help fight the fire, it said without giving further details.

17 December 2005

Chinese authorities have detained an electrician blamed for a hospital fire that killed 39 people, a local Communist Party leader said today. The blaze in the city of Liaoyuan forced patients to leap from second and third-storey windows in subfreezing weather. “Initial investigation shows the fire accident was due to malpractice of an electrician, who has been detained by police,” the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the city’s party secretary, Zhao Zhenqi. It didn’t identify the electrician or say what he was accused of doing wrong or whether he would face criminal charges. The government said authorities confirmed no one was missing following the blaze, putting the final death toll at 39. Some 89 patients jumped from the building, with 24 suffering serious injuries as they fled the flames, Xinhua said.