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Fertilizer factory explosion linked to gas cooker accident
  • By Dinh Thao | dtinews.vn | October 20, 2014 04:17 PM

The initial investigation into the explosion at a HCM City fertiliser factory which killed three and injured five on October 17 points to an accident involving a gas cooker.

Aside from the eight casualties at Dang Huynh Company, dozens of homes near the site in Thoi An Ward, District 12, were also destroyed or damaged.

Colonel Nguyen Thanh Huong, deputy head of HCM City Police Department of Fire Fighting and Prevention, said the explosion had spread chemicals into the air which could affect the health of people living nearby.

Huynh Hai Van, director of Dang Huynh Company, said they had just bought about 500kg of several chemicals for fertiliser production including potassium chlorate, potassium nitrate and ammonium hydroxide.

Results from a preliminary investigation indicate that three workers had been using a mini gas cooker and carelessly left the gas on in close proximity to nearby chemicals. One of the women was found in critical condition and died shortly after in hospital. Two others were found later, also dead.

The Dang Huynh Company was licensed by the local Department of Planning and Investment in 2003, but were not licensed in fertiliser production.

 

The explosion site


Completed fertiliser products on the ground


Nearby houses destroyed

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