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  Channel NewsAsia 3 May 07
Two dead, two injured in ExxonMobil refinery blaze in Singapore

SINGAPORE: An early morning fire at ExxonMobil's refinery at Pulau Ayer Chawan on Jurong Island has left two workers dead and two others injured.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the incident occurred at about 1.15am on Thursday. When firemen arrived at the scene, the blaze was raging at an overhead exchanger of a distillation unit that processes crude oil. It affected an area measuring approximately 1.5 metres by 4 metres. The fire was brought under control in half an hour.

Both the dead are Singaporeans. Tan Kong Lam was in his mid-50s and Ng Swee Min was in his late 40s. The two injured workers were sent to the Singapore General Hospital. One of them, a Bangladeshi national suffered more than 70 per cent burns. A Singapore General Hospital spokeperson described his condition as dangerously ill. The other, an Indian national, had about 15 per cent burns. He is said to be conscious and alert but has been placed in the High Dependency Ward.

ExxonMobil Singapore Refinery Manager, Steve Blume, said the company is sorry about the accident and is greatly saddened by the tragic event. SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.

ExxonMobil says it has shut down one of the two crude distillation units (CDUs) at the refinery, following the fire. The unit will not be started up until it is safe to do so.

A spokesperson says the affected CDU has a capacity of 115,000 barrels per day. The other CDU, with a capacity of 185,000 barrels per day, continues to operate.

She also says the refinery at the Jurong site is not affected. - CNA/ir/yy
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