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Al-Ahram Weekly 31 August - 6 September 2000 Issue No. 497 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 31 August - 6 September 2000 Issue No. 497
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A single spark
By Fatemah FaragApproaching Al-Zaytiya, a petro-industrial zone near Suez City, the horizon is particularly drab. Thin flames twisting like serpents spout into a sodden sky, the territories of every company in the oil industry are marked out with fences which encircle ominous oil storage tanks and there is the unmistakable smell of gas in the air.
This 4.5-by-1.5km area is one of the nation's largest oil industry complexes, second only to a compound at Musturud. And Al-Zaytiya is described as possibly the most important industry site because of its strategic location on the Suez Canal, close as it is to import and export outlets. This is also where 25,000 oil-related workers, or 40 per cent of the national total, are concentrated.
It is in the light of these facts that the magnitude of the fire which broke out at the Petrogas liquefied petroleum gas plant last Thursday becomes clear. "It was in the afternoon when a truck which had been loaded with gas cylinders was preparing to leave," said a senior official at the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) who requested anonymity. "The driver turned the ignition key and a fire broke out.
"Because we're in summer, the grass where the truck was parked was dry and it caught fire immediately. Six trucks caught fire; unfortunately, the first trucks to go were the fire truck and an ambulance."
The fire brigade and fire engines from neighbouring companies came to the rescue and within three hours the blaze was extinguished. On Saturday, officials were proud to announce that business was back to normal. In the meantime, four workers had died and four others were hospitalised, three of them with third degree burns.
According to the initial results of an investigation by the prosecutor general's office, the fire was started by a spark either from the ignition of the truck or from two pieces of metal which scraped against each other.
A Ministry of Petroleum committee estimated material damage at LE500,000. "None of the production lines were in any way damaged," confirmed a senior company official as he stood on factory grounds covered with sand that had been used to smother the flames.
In statements to the press, Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmi played down the incident, declaring that the production of this particular Petrogas plant amounts to only two per cent of national production. However, the EGPC official told Al-Ahram Weekly that although the volume of production is not high, the areas it services rely solely on it. The Petrogas plant is responsible for the full quotas of gas cylinders that reach the cities of the Canal zone and northern and southern Sinai and also makes a contribution to the quotas of the Upper Egyptian governorates of Sohag and Qena. On a regular day, the plant operates for 16 hours, loading on the hour a truck that will transport 1,000 cylinders. In the summer, production drops by about a half.
Officials were able to cover the temporary interruption of production by tapping the Musturud complex and that, against the odds, they made the plant functional again within 48 hours. Yet, in Suez City, people have not gotten over the shock. "This is one of the oldest factories in the area and its 800 workers are some of the most experienced in the industry," explained a company official. "Of course, this is a major accident. We define 'major' as the loss of valuable equipment and/or the loss of life. The last time this happened in the area was in 1982. Working conditions are volatile and this industrial area is very dense and so the results could be mind-blowing. People here are still a little shaken."
For workers who were milling around the area, a major concern is the lack of medical facilities. They have memories of severely burned workers who had to be taken as far as Suez City and El-Khanka hospitals for treatment. Fahmi has decided to establish a hospital in Al-Zaytiya. "Severe burns need very specialised care which is not readily available in the area. So we are very pleased that such a hospital will be built," commented the EGPC official.
The plant's gateway is plastered with red signs and long lists of precautionary instructions. No lighters or matches are allowed inside, safety clothes must be worn at all times, and only diesel-powered vehicles can enter the premises.
"One of the elements of combustion is always there -- oxygen. Leakage is also a possibility. That's why we have to be especially careful," explained the EGPC official. He said the cylinders were safe and able to withstand pressure equal to 2.5 times that of the atmosphere.
But it was soon to be discovered that issues of industrial security go beyond factory walls. From the roof of the tall building of the Nasr Gas Club emerged a panoramic view of Al-Zaytiya which is bordered by the Canal on one side and train tracks on the other. "The area is this dense because the factories feed into each other, the industry being comprehensive," the EGPC official said. "But Petrogas is different because it deals with customers outside the industrial area. The trucks going in and out are, of course, hazardous and there is no reason why the factory has to be in this area in particular."
It was recommended to Fahmi that the plant be relocated. The EGPC official said he agreed. "A piece of land has already been allocated," he confirmed. But the move was too late for those who lost their lives in Al-Zaytiya.
