BP Refinery Blast: Most fatalities not at exploded unit

24 March 2005 23:16  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (CNI)--Most of the workers who were killed at the BP refinery in Texas City were not working on the isomerisation unit that exploded, according to a contracting company.

 

Wednesday’s explosion killed 15 contract employees, according to BP. Of those killed, 11 were employees of Pasadena, California-based Jacobs Engineering Group and its subsidiary, JE Merit Constructors.

 

“About 375 employees of Jacobs and its subsidiary JE Merit Constructors subsidiary were involved in turnaround work at a separate unit close to the isomerisation unit where the explosion occurred,” Jacobs chief executive Noel Watson said in a statement released Thursday.

 

“Even though Jacobs was not performing any work on the isomerisation unit, a number of our employees were meeting in a staff office trailer about 150 yards from that unit when it exploded,” Watson said. “The ultracracker unit where our employees were working had been shut down for the turnaround.”

 

The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s released the names of six of the victims Thursday. The office said it may be weeks or even months before all 15 dead are positively identified due to the extent of their injuries. The office said some will require DNA testing.

 

The office said that all of the victims were likely knocked unconscious or immediately killed by the explosion.

By: Brian Ford
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