Tank explosion death toll rises to 7

By Chen Qian  |   2008-7-3  |     ONLINE EDITION

THE death toll from last week's coal tar tank explosion has risen to seven in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinhuanet.com reported today.

Of the seven workers, four fell into the tank during the explosion and died, said Zhou Qing, the spokesman and official in charge of the case.

One injured worker is reportedly in a stable condition in hospital. Each family of the dead workers has been paid 200,000 yuan in compensation, the report said.

The explosion happened on June 25 at Fukang Iron Coke Co Ltd, about 60 kilometers east of Fukang City. The oil tank contained 2,000 cubic meters of coal tar.

The report said Fukang Iron is a private company that was set up in 2004. It has an annual capacity of 50,000 tons of anhydrous tar treatment and can recycle 3,500 tons of crude benzol a year.

Fukang's safety production license had been revoked and its production halted after the accident, according to the official. Its leaders were under investigation and its bank accounts were also frozen, the report said.

Dozens of firefighters extinguished the blaze about three hours after the incident. Eight other tanks nearby were not damaged, the report said.

Environmental authorities said they had not detected pollution in subterranean water sources or nearby rivers. However, the concentration of some chemicals in the air such as benzene, toluene and dimethylbenzene had exceeded standards, said the report.