chemical hazard

Four firefighters dead, more than 100 people injured after explosions and fire in southern Taiwan industrial park

factory on fire in Pingtung County, Taiwan
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

More than 100 people have been reported injured, and four firefighters are confirmed to have died, after a fire and multiple explosions at a factory in southern Taiwan, Friday, September 22. At around 5:30 pm, residents up to 10 kilometers away from the Pingtung Technology Industrial Park reported hearing a large explosion. Residents close to the site of the explosion felt the earth shake, and said that a strong chemical stench immediately followed the blast. Pingtung County Fire Department received

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Sulfuric acid tanker rolls over on freeway exit

rolled over chemical tanker truck
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

The driver of a chemical tanker was slightly injured, but fortunately no sulfuric acid leaked, after the truck rolled over on an exit of National Highway 3 in Miaoli County today, February 15. The Miaoli County Fire Department received reports that a tanker truck carrying sulfuric acid had overturned in the northbound exit lanes at the Zhunan Township interchange at 12:32 pm, and that an unknown liquid was leaking onto the road. Firefighters arrived to find that the liquid was

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Chemical tanker accident causes 20km traffic jam

composite image of tanker and accident site
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 1 Comment , , ,

Traffic backed up as far as 20 kilometers, and National Highway 1 in Tainan City was blocked for around seven hours, after a chemical tanker carrying a highly volatile and toxic liquid was left stuck across the central traffic divider following a collision this morning, January 24. According to the National Highway Police Bureau, at around 6:30 am, a gravel truck merging into southbound traffic from an on ramp at the Tainan Interchange collided with a Formosa Plastics chemical tanker

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Firefighters work overnight battling chemical factory fire in Kaohsiung City

UPC Technology Corporation fire
Fire 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Firefighters in Kaohsiung City worked through the night to extinguish a fire at a chemical plant in the Linyuan Industrial Park after an explosion and fire was reported at around 8:30 pm yesterday evening, January 29. Thirty-six vehicles and 75 personnel were dispatched from 14 fire stations to battle the blaze at the UPC Technology Corporation (1313.TW) plasticizer plant on Gongye 2nd Road. The fire destroyed around 300 square meters containing plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and phthalic anhydride (PA) production

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Leak of highly toxic chemical gas causes road closure in Hsinchu County

firefighters treat a leaking cylinder of silane gas
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , , ,

Firefighters closed a section of road in Hsinchu County for three hours after a gas cylinder being transported from the Hsinchu Science Park caught fire while leaking highly volatile silane gas today, January 26. The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau received a report that a gas cylinder on a truck was emitting flame, and thick, yellow smoke on Shuangyuan Road in Baoshan Township at 8:54 am. Fire fighters sprayed water on the cylinder, while police closed pedestrian and vehicular traffic in

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Chemical leak spreads stench over large areas of Hsinchu County, then causes fire

fire at chemical plant in Hsinchu County, Taiwan
Health and Safety 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

A leak of chemical gas at the Far Eastern New Century Corporation Chemical Fiber Plant in Xinpu Township spread a pungent smell over large areas of Hsinchu County, could be smelled as far away as Miaoli County, and then caused a fire, Wednesday evening, September 23. The Hsinchu County Environmental Protection Bureau was first informed of the leak at 5:30 pm. The leak consisted of a mixture of biphenyl and diphenyl ethers, according to a United Daily News report. Residents

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Three injured, highway closed after chemical tanker crash and fire

chemical tanker and dump truck after crash and fire
Traffic Accidents 
Phillip Charlier 0 Comment , ,

Three people were injured, two critically, after a chemical tanker carrying isoocytl acrylate crashed into a stationary dump truck at high speed on the West Coast Expressway (Highway 61) in Changhua County today, May 8. Changhua County Fire Bureau responded to reports at 10:59 am, dispatching 16 fire trucks, 4 ambulances, and 36 personnel to the scene of the accident. Highway traffic monitor footage showed that the 17 ton dump truck, was temporarily stopped on the side of the road

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