On November 22nd, 2013, a Sinopec oil pipeline ruptured in Qingdao, the city NRCC-SAWS located in. The pipeline which was undergoing routine maintenance caught fire and exploded, killing a total of 52 and leaving a further 11 people unaccounted for. Meanwhile, a kilometer away from the blast site, the sea surface around a mouth of an open storm drain was on fire due to crude oil spills.
China SAWS responded immediately to assist the local government of Qingdao with Director Yang Dongliang coordinating search and rescue efforts and accident investigation.
On November 23rd the local bureau of environmental protection issued a statement outlining the plan to divide emergency response measures into three key areas. First of all, the resultant oil slick in the local sea requires immediate attention. Officials announced that a northerly prevailing wind had somewhat isolated the slick and hindered its dispersion, but that the cleanup process would nevertheless require a month. Secondly follow-up inspections to monitor the air and sea water quality in the nearby would be required and finally the waste oil was due for harmless disposal.
So far, the leaks have been stopped or are under control. According to a Sinopec press release on Nov 24th, among the 120 mouths of the city drainage network, only a few were detected releasing flammable gases, but with a concentration of lower than 20% of explosive threshold. Reassurances were also given about the safety of the current situation and that further explosions would not happen.
Sinopec's board chairman, Fu Chengyu, apologized for the accident and vowed to make every effort to handle the rescue effort and to cooperate with the investigation team of the State Council to find the cause of the accident. A report said the leaking pipeline that caused the deadly accident has been used for 27 years.
As of Dec 2nd, 2014, the death toll rose to 62.
