A chemical explosion at Chemic Industries in Tuas last Friday killed three Indian workers. Two injured workers are still warded at the SGH. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF ST READER YI KUN HUA
THE bodies of three workers who died after they were exposed to a nitric acid spill last Friday will be flown back to their hometowns in India.
Two other Indian workers who were injured remain warded at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) burns unit.
One is in critical condition with burns to 70 per cent of his body, while the other is in stable condition with 4 per cent burns.
The incident at Chemic Industries, located in a factory in Tuas, happened when a small quantity of nitric acid leaked from the flange joint of a heat exchanging unit. The leak led to yellow-coloured smoke billowing from the unit.
Workers from nearby units said the smoke had a drying effect on their mouths and throats. The five workers from Chemic Industries were carrying out maintenance work at that time.
Yesterday afternoon, about 10 colleagues and friends of the two surviving men kept vigil at the SGH burns unit.
The less-seriously injured worker was recovering, his brother told The Straits Times. He declined to say more.
When asked about safety measures put in place at the factory, a Chemic Industries employee said the company sets high expectations of safety among its employees. 'Every time the workers are assigned a job, they are told to put on their safety gear,' he said.
The Manpower Ministry has issued a stop-work order to Chemic Industries and both the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force are also investigating the incident.
Nitric acid is a highly corrosive and toxic acid that can cause severe burns. It is used in a wide variety of industrial processes such as the production of fertilisers.
