Chemical accident kills 24 in Mexico

It was a disastrous week for the global petrochemical industry as two major chemical complexes—one in Mexico and another in Saudi Arabia—both suffered deadly industrial accidents.

On April 20, an explosion rocked a vinyl chloride plant in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, belonging to Mexichem and the state oil company Pemex. The explosion killed 24 workers and injured 136. As of April 21, 19 remained in the hospital, of whom 13 were in serious condition, according to the companies.

Some 2,000 inhabitants of the surrounding area were evacuated, but they returned to their homes when authorities determined that the situation was under control and posed no risk. Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto arrived on the scene to supervise the response. 

Although the cause of the accident is still under investigation, the companies disclosed that responders were able to reach the center of the plant. They also were able to confirm that the tanks and pipelines within the facility have been emptied. At a press conference, officials pointed to a leak as an exacerbating factor in the accident. The partners recently conducted a $200 million expansion of the complex.

In Saudi Arabia, a fire on on Saturday, April 16, killed 12 workers and injured 11 at the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. affiliate Jubail United Petrochemical in Jubail.

Employees were carrying out routine maintenance and changing catalysts at the site’s ethylene glycol plant when the accident occurred, the company says. The dead and injured succumbed to smoke from the reactor.

All but one of the injured workers were subsequently discharged. Operations at the site—which also makes ethylene, polyethylene, and linear α-olefins—were not affected, the company says.