A gas explosion, 11 household fires and 15 gas leaks were caused by abnormalities at the Hsinchu County-owned Hsinchu Gas Co in the county’s Jhubei City (竹北) yesterday, with one person suffering severe burns over his entire body.
The Hsinhcu County Government has established an emergency task force and said it, alongside the gas company, would help victims of the incidents file for state compensation.
The company received a report of abnormal gas pressures at the gas regulator station near Jhongjheng Elementary School at about 8:10am yesterday, Hsinchu Gas’ construction branch deputy head Liu Hsien-jung (劉顯榮) said.
Photo courtesy of The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau
The company’s inspectors found the pressure limit for gas provision, which should have been set for 200 millimeters of water gauge (mm wg), had spiked to about 1,000mm wg in under three minutes, he said.
A pebble had entered the gas pipeline at the regulator station and damaged the axial flow valve for the depressurizing equipment, he said.
The company shut down the entire regulator station for emergency repairs, which had at one point led to a spike in pressure at the Taiho regulator station as well, but the company had turned off the depressurizing switch there to compensate, Liu said.
The company has conducted an emergency check on all nearby regulator stations and is confident that they are operating as usual, he said.
The area affected was Jhubei City’s Sanmin Road, Jhongjheng E Road and Boai Road, with a gas explosion reported at a mixed commercial-residential building on Jhongjheng E Road, the Hsinchu County Government said.
The explosion left at least 12 people trapped, but the ensuing fire was put out quickly and most people were evacuated unharmed, the county government said.
However, a 16-year-old surnamed Chen (陳) sustained severe burns across 90 percent of his body, it said.
The Hsinchu County Fire Bureau later said that the excess pressure might have caused gas pipes in the apartment where the explosion occurred to rupture at weak spots, or it could have led to sockets loosening, resulting in leaks.
The explosion is estimated to have caused NT$5.5 million (US$177,878) in damage, with the total burned surface area totaling about 40 ping (132.2m2), it said.
A local restaurant owner said that they did not know about the gas leak before the explosion, but had noticed some instability in the gas provision when they were preparing to open for business.
At the time of the blast, they had started the stove and were shocked to find the flame stronger than it should have been, they said, adding that they closed business for the day.
The incident resulted in injuries, the Hsinchu District Prosecutors’ Office said, adding that it would launch an investigation to determine whether it was a purposeful act or an accident due to negligence.
Additional reporting by CNA
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