Name: Oppau Explosion 1921
Start: 2023-9-21
End: 2023-9-21

Event Type 0 > 100 Fatalities

Lessons

Industry

Country

Language

LoC

Incident

Hazards

Contributory Factors

Impact

Effects

Equipment

Operation

Material

Live Event Type

Document Type

Topics

Origin

Tag

September

202321SepAll DayOppau Explosion 1921BASF Oppau (DE)Lessons:Management of Change,Process KnowledgeIndustry:ChemicalsCountry:GermanyLanguage:EN Origin: IChemE Incident:Explosive decompositionHazards:ExplosiveImpact:HUMAN (Offsite Fatalities)Effects:> 100 FatalitiesMaterial:Ammonium Nitrate

November

202319NovAll DayPEMEX LPG Explosion 1984PEMEX LPG San Juanico (MX)Lessons:Asset integrity,Emergency Preparedness,Operational Integrity,Risk Assessment,Stakeholder EngagementIndustry:LPGCountry:MexicoLanguage:ENLoC:Overpressure Origin: HSE Incident:BLEVE,VCEHazards:FlammableImpact:HUMAN (Offsite Fatalities)Effects:> 100 FatalitiesMaterial:LPGTopics:Occupied Buildings

Summary

At approximately 05:35 hours on 19 November 1984 a major fire and a series of catastrophic explosions occurred at the government owned and operated PEMEX LPG Terminal at San Juan Ixhuatepec, Mexico City. As a consequence of these events some 500 individuals were killed and the terminal destroyed.

Three refineries supplied the facility with LPG on a daily basis. The plant was being filled from a refinery 400 km away, as on the previous day it had become almost empty. Two large spheres and 48 cylindrical vessels were filled to 90% and 4 smaller spheres to 50% full.

A drop in pressure was noticed in the control room and also at a pipeline pumping station. An 8-inch pipe between a sphere and a series of cylinders had ruptured. Unfortunately the operators could not identify the cause of the pressure drop. The release of LPG continued for about 5-10 minutes when the gas cloud, estimated at 200 m x 150 m x 2 m high, drifted to a flare stack. It ignited, causing violent ground shock. A number of ground fires occurred. Workers on the plant now tried to deal with the escape taking various action. At a late stage somebody pressed the emergency shut down button.

About fifteen minutes after the initial release the first BLEVE occurred. For the next hour and a half there followed a series of BLEVEs as the LPG vessels violently exploded. LPG was said to rain down and surfaces covered in the liquid were set alight. The explosions were recorded on a seismograph at the University of Mexico.

KEY ISSUES:
• PLANT LAYOUT
• ISOLATION
• ACTIVE / PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION
• LEAK / GAS DETECTION
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE / SPILL CONTROL

Image Credit: Mexico News Daily

Learn More

Origin

HSEUK Health & Safety Executive

December

202303DecAll DayBhopal Toxic Release 1984Union Carbide Bhopal Madhya Pradesh (IN)Lessons:Asset integrity,Control of Work,Emergency Preparedness,Management of Change,Risk Assessment,Stakeholder EngagementIndustry:ChemicalsCountry:IndiaLanguage:ENLoC:Genuine release Origin: HSE Incident:Gas/vapour/mist/etc release to airHazards:Corrosive,Flammable,ToxicImpact:HUMAN (Offsite Fatalities)Effects:> 100 FatalitiesMaterial:Methyl IsocyanateTopics:Chemical Reaction

Summary

In the early hours of 3 December 1984 a relief valve on a storage tank containing highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) lifted. A cloud of MIC gas was released which drifted onto nearby housing.

Prior to this, at 23.00 hrs on 2 December, an operator noticed the pressure inside the storage tank to be higher than normal but not outside the working pressure of the tank. At the same time a MIC leak was reported near the vent gas scrubber (VGS). At 00.15hrs a MIC release in the process area was reported. The pressure inside the storage tank was rising rapidly so the operator went outside to the tank. Rumbling sounds were heard from the tank and a screeching noise from the safety valve. Radiated heat could also be felt from the tank.
Attempts were made to switch on the VGS but this was not in operational mode.

Approximately 2,000 people died within a short period and tens of thousands were injured, overwhelming the emergency services. This was further compounded by the fact that the hospitals were unaware as to which gas was involved or what its effects were. The exact numbers of dead and injured are uncertain, as people have continued to die of the effects over a period of years.

The severity of this accident makes it the worst recorded within the chemical industry.

KEY ISSUES:
• PLANT MODIFICATION / CHANGE PROCEDURES
• REACTION / PRODUCT TESTING
• DESIGN CODES – PLANT
• MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
• EMERGENCY RESPONSE / SPILL CONTROL

Image Credit: No credit