Part of the oil refinery in Milnerton, Cape Town was engulfed in fire on Thursday, after an explosion at the Astron facility devastated a major unit.
Astron Energy has confirmed that a Milnerton-based oil refinery encountered an ’emergency incident’ on Thursday morning, when a large explosion was heard at the Cape Town facility.
Photos and grainy videos of the aftermath showed fires burning up one of the key structures of the plant.
CAPE TOWN EXPLOSION: ASTRON OIL REFINERY BRIEFLY GOES UP IN SMOKE
A loud bang was allegedly picked-up by local residents, some of whom were woken by the explosion.
The blaze has since been contained, but we’re still waiting on confirmation about the wellbeing of workers. Unconfirmed reports suggest there have been at least a dozen injuries, with two members of staff feared dead. However, Astron is yet to confirm this information.
ASTRON INCIDENT: TWO FEARED DEAD
The group issued a statement on the matter earlier this morning. They state that the plant has been stabilised and that more information will be provided once they’ve investigated the matter properly:
Astron Energy South Africa can confirm that an incident occurred at its Milnerton Refinery at approximately 4.00 on 2 July 2020. Astron Energy immediately activated its emergency response procedures and notified the relevant authorities.
The resultant fire has been contained and the plant is now stable. Our priority is to ensure the safety of all those on-site and further information will be provided as soon as we have confirmed the details.
Astron statement on the Cape Town oil refinery explosion
Source: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/
