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Small Fire Put out at Kuwaiti Refinery, no Injuries

Published July 28th, 2000 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

A fire broke out Friday at Kuwait's Mina Abdullah oil refinery but was quickly put out, causing no injuries, the state oil company said. 

The incident comes just over a month after a fire at the country’s largest refinery, Al-Ahmadi, which caused the death of six people and injured another 50. 

Production at Al-Ahmadi was temporarily halted and has still not returned to full levels. 

Only six days before that incident, two workers were killed and four others injured in a gas leak at Kuwait's third refinery, at Shuaiba. 

Friday's fire started in a hydro cracker unit where the oil enters into contact with a high-temperature pipe, said Rajeh Saad Omair, public relations director of the Kuwait National Petroleum Co was quoted by the state news agency KUNA as saying. 

The accident occurred as technicians were changing the insulator on a control valve, he said. 

"Smoke billowed from the insulator and, when it was removed for replacement, it was accidentally stained with oil, starting the small fire," Omair said. 

"Safety precautions were taken immediately to isolate the spot, and the fire was extinguished, with only light damage," Omair said – KUWAIT CITY (AFP) 

 

© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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