[Japan Today] One dead, 30 injured in explosions at Himeji chemical plant

<Quote> [Japan Today]

TOKYO — A firefighter died and at least 30 others were injured in explosions at a large chemical plant in Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on Saturday, a local fire department said.

A tank of acrylic acid at major chemical producer Nippon Shokubai’s factory exploded after firefighters responded to an emergency call at 2:05 p.m., according to the city’s fire department.

Thirteen minutes later, firefighters at the scene reported an explosion at the plant, the fire spokesman said. Two other tanks exploded shortly after.

The exact nature of the explosion, the reason for the original emergency phone call from the factory and other details about the case were not immediately clear, the spokesman added.

Television footage showed a continuing blaze gutting a portion of the factory, filled with dozens of smoke stacks and a layered web of industrial piping. The blaze was finally extinguished just before midnight.

The factory is a major production hub of Nippon Shokubai and produces industrial chemicals, including acrylic acid and superabsorbent polymer, according to the company’s website.

Residents near the plant told NHK that they heard at least two explosions, with the earlier one shaking their houses and offices like a huge earthquake.

The dead man was identified as Nagahiro Yamamoto, a 28-year-old firefighter. Of the 30 injuries, 19 were firefighters, nine were plant workers and two were police officers, police reported.

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Français :

[Japan Today] Un mort et 30 blessés dans des explosions à l’usine chimique de Himeji

<Citation> [Japan Today]

TOKYO — Un pompier est mort et il y a eu au moins 30 blessés ce samedi suite à des explosions dans une grande usine chimique de Himeji, préfecture de Hyogo, selon un responsable local des pompiers.

Dans l’usine du grand industriel de la chimie Nippon Shokubai, une citerne d’acide acrylique a explosé après que les pompiers aient répondu à un appel d’urgence à 14:05, selon le département des pompiers de la ville.

Treize minutes plus tard, les pompiers sur place signalent une explosion dans l’usine, selon porte-parole des pompiers. Deux autres citernes ont explosé peu après.

La nature exacte de l’explosion, la raison de l’appel initial de l’usine et les autres détails de cette histoire n’étaient pas tout de suite clairs, ajoute-t-il.

Les images télévisées montrent un feu continu sur une partie de l’usine couverte de dizaines de sources de fumées et recouverte par un réseau de tuyaux industriels . L’incendie a finalement été éteint peu avant minuit.

Cette usine est un nœud principal de production pour Nippon Shokubai et on y fabrique des produits chimiques industriels, dont de l’acide acrylique et des polymères super-absorbants, selon le site de la société.

Les habitants du voisinage ont dit à NHK qu’ils ont entendu au moins deux explosions, la première ayant secoué leurs maisons et leurs bureaux comme un gros séisme.

L’homme décédé a été identifié comme étant M. Nagahiro Yamamoto, un pompier de 28 ans. Sur les 30 blessés, 19 sont des pompiers, 9 des ouvriers de l’usine et 2 des officiers de police, selon la police.
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About this site

This website updates the latest news about the Fukushima nuclear plant and also archives the past news from 2011. Because it's always updated and added live, articles, categories and the tags are not necessarily fitted in the latest format.
I am the writer of this website. About page remains in 2014. This is because my memory about 311 was clearer than now, 2023, and I think it can have a historical value. Now I'm living in Romania with 3 cats as an independent data scientist.
Actually, nothing has progressed in the plant since 2011. We still don't even know what is going on inside. They must keep cooling the crippled reactors by water, but additionally groundwater keeps flowing into the reactor buildings from the broken parts. This is why highly contaminated water is always produced more than it can circulate. Tepco is planning to officially discharge this water to the Pacific but Tritium is still remaining in it. They dilute this with seawater so that it is legally safe, but scientifically the same amount of radioactive tritium is contained. They say it is safe to discharge, but none of them have drunk it.

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