Death toll in oil tank blast rises to 7

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-7-4  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE death toll in last month's oil tank blast in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has risen to seven after two workers previously reported missing were confirmed dead yesterday.

Zhou Qing, a spokesman for the government of Fukang City, said a worker who survived the accident was recovering in hospital.

He said the families of the deceased had each received 200,000 yuan (US$29,154), the standard compensation.

The concentration of chemicals in the air, such as benzene, toluene and dimethylbenzene, had dropped to normal levels, and the air quality had improved markedly, he said. The remaining coal tar in the tank had also been drained without polluting underground water sources, he said.

"Local authorities are continuing to monitor the environment there," he added.

Investigators found that workers had broken the rules by starting a fire on a 2,000-cubic-meter tank holding coal tar, triggering an explosion at the Fukang Iron Coke Co Ltd in Fukang City on June 25.

Dozens of firefighters took about three hours to put out the fire after the blast.

Local authorities have launched a review of safety at businesses involving dangerous chemicals.

Fukang's safety production license was revoked after the accident, production halted and its bank accounts frozen.