Beijing: Around 18,000 people were evacuated from a district in east China where an oil pipeline explosion killed 48 people as the largest oil refiner today apologised for one of the country's worst industrial accidents.
The blast occurred yesterday in Huangdao district of port city Qingdao when workers were trying to plug a leak after oil from the state-owned pipeline flowed into a municipal pipe network, killing 48 people and injuring 136 others.
A total of 18,000 people were evacuated from the areas affected by the blast. Students from nearby schools and local residents were evacuated and given masks. The latest government report did not, however, state a reason for the evacuation.
The 176-km pipeline is run by state-owned Sinopec, China's largest oil refiner, and links oil depots in Huangdao with Weifang city, home to a few petrochemical plants. Some of the oil had spilled into Jiaozhou Bay through the rainwater pipeline, and about 3,000 square metres of sea water was polluted by oil, said the rescue headquarters.
Sinopec chairman Fu Chengyu apologised for the explosion. In a statement issued today, Fu said he feels greatly grieved by the huge losses of life and property. He apologised to people of Qingdao and the country.
