Explosion at Regina oil refinery injures at least ten
Posted October 6, 2011 8:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
An explosion and resulting fire at a crude-oil refinery in Regina has left at least 10 people suffering from various injuries.
The safety manager at the plant said eight people were taken to hospital with burns, while two were treated on the site. There is no word on how badly the eight injured were burnt.
While it is still early in the probe, officials say the explosion seems to have been caused by the release and interaction of diesel and hydrogen gas.
Following the explosion, managers at the Consumers’ Co-Operative Refinery were taking steps to account for all the employees and contractors who were at the plant at the time of the accident.
The fire department was also on scene working to identify any further health hazards.
Police were also on scene at the plant, which is located on Regina’s northeast outskirts.
Witnesses near the site told local Regina news radio station CJME they heard alarms before an explosion went off.
Thick, black smoke was seen billowing from the refinery immediately after the explosion, but reports indicate it had cleared up significantly soon after.
Consumers’ Co-operative Refineries Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Federated Co-operatives Ltd. The refinery employees more than 600 people and processes about 100,000 barrels of crude oil a day.
