Death toll hits 48 as rescue continues in E China blast

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows the site of a pipeline explosion in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Nov. 22, 2013. A fire broke out and the blast occurred around 10 a.m. in the Huangdao District when workers were repairing a petroleum pipeline which broke and resulted in an oil leakage around 3 a.m. Casualties remained unknown. (Xinhua)

The death toll rose to 48 on Saturday after a crude oil leak from an old pipeline triggered two blasts in the east China port city of Qingdao on Friday.

Crude oil began leaking from an underground pipeline operated by Sinopec, China's largest oil refiner, at 3:00 a.m. on Friday in Huangdao District of Qingdao, according to the municipal government.

The leaked oil then flowed into the city's rainwater pipe system, which empties into Jiaozhou Bay. Two blasts occurred at around 10:30 a.m. when workers were repairing the ruptured pipeline.

One of the blasts occurred near the leaking pipeline, while the other happened close to the site where the rainwater pipe empties into the sea.

The explosions ripped through roads in the district, leaving deep cracks on road surfaces, overturning vehicles parked on the roadside and shattering glass and bricks of nearby buildings.

The local government has ruled out a terror attack as the cause, and the State Administration of Work Safety has sent a work team to the scene to guide the rescue efforts.

A total of 18,000 people have been evacuated from the district and local authorities are doling out food and water for residents affected by the blasts. Electricity has been restored in all but two communities in the district.

"We can't live here any more, we must move as soon as possible," said a woman surnamed Xing, whose 87-year-old mother sustained minor injuries in the blast.

Xing said she was injured slightly in a similar accident that occurred in the district in 1989, when an oil depot explosion blew her away.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday asked for maximum efforts in the search for survivors of the blast. He also asked local authorities to spare no effort to rescue the injured, find the cause of the accident and strengthen safety.

Premier Li Keqiang also urged local authorities to improve inspection and supervision and make sure safety procedures are followed.

The Qingdao municipal government has ordered scrutiny of the safety of its pipeline network following the accident.

The State Council, China's cabinet, has decided to establish an investigation team to find the cause of the accident and hold relevant parties accountable.

RESCUE EFFORTS

China will mobilize the best doctors and medical resources to treat the injured and reduce disability and death, said State Councilor Wang Yong, who was entrusted by President Xi and Premier Li to lead a team to direct rescue work on the ground.

A compensation package for victims should be offered as soon as possible, he said.

At least 10 of the 136 hospitalized are still in critical condition, according to provincial health authorities.

Authorities have put together expert panels to monitor the medical conditions of the ten critically injured. Experts include provincial specialists and those dispatched by the National Health and Family Planning Commission from Beijing.

Liang Jun, vice dean of the Huangdao division of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, one of three hospitals treating the injured, said the hospital has received 102 people injured in Friday's blast, and none has died.

The injured, ranging in age from 20 to 87, mostly sustained trauma after being hit by slabs and stones in the blasts, Liang said, adding that all the medical expenses will be covered by the hospitals

Residents in Qingdao donated blood on Saturday, boosting blood stockpiles in the city's blood bank, which the bank said is enough to meet clinical needs.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

The Qingdao Environmental Protection Bureau, the city's environmental watchdog, said on Saturday that it is overseeing clean-up efforts. The blasts have caused oil spills that extend 1,000 square meters on the road and 3,000 meters on the sea.

The bureau is monitoring air quality in and around the blast areas and sea waters.

The bureau is also seeking qualified institutions to safely dispose of the leaked oil collected from the ground and sea.

It said the air quality monitored at two sites around the blast areas had not deteriorated and is "far below" a pre-set redline.

Monitoring also showed that sea water within 200 meters of the shoreline was covered in dispersed oily layers, which thinned further away from shore.

The Qingdao Maritime Safety Administration said it is using barricades running 3,000 meters long and 10 tons of dispersant to clean up spills that have contaminated 3,000 square meters of sea water.

The administration has also dispatched 22 oil-clearing vessels, 10 fishing boats and six patrolling vessels to help clean up crude oil that spilled into the sea.

AGED PIPELINE

Earlier media reports have linked the explosion to an oil pipeline that Sinopec put into operation in August.

However, the company refuted the claim on Saturday through its microblog, saying that the ruptured pipeline has been in use since July 1986.

The leaking pipeline measures 711 mm in diameter and runs 248.52 km, with an annual oil transfer capacity of 10 million tons, the company said on its microblog.

It is unknown how the spill and blasts will affect Sinopec's two oil refineries in east China's Shandong Province, one of which is located in Qingdao.