4 killed in tank explosion

Firefighters pulling up the body of a worker at Hanwha Chemical plant, in the south-eastern city of Ulsan, yesterday. A waste-water storage tank exploded when workers were doing welding work.
Firefighters pulling up the body of a worker at Hanwha Chemical plant, in the south-eastern city of Ulsan, yesterday. A waste-water storage tank exploded when workers were doing welding work. PHOTO: EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY

SEOUL • Four workers were killed and two others were missing when a waste-water storage tank exploded yesterday at a chemical plant in the South Korean industrial city of Ulsan, the authorities said.

The blast at Hanwha Chemical occurred when the workers were doing welding work on the tank, said a spokesman for the Ulsan Nam Fire Station .

"Gas from the waste water, which had accumulated inside the tank, was apparently ignited by the welding torch," he said.

The plant makes polyvinyl chloride, which is used in products such as cling film, said the BBC.

An investigation is under way to determine whether the accident was a result of negligence, said the spokesman.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 04, 2015, with the headline 4 killed in tank explosion. Subscribe