1998 Esso Longford fire
1998 industrial disaster in Victoria, Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about 1998 Esso Longford fire?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
On 25 September 1998 a catastrophic accident occurred at the Esso natural gas plant in Longford, Victoria, Australia.[1] A pressure vessel ruptured resulting in a serious jet fire, which escalated to a conflagration extending to a large part of the plant. Fires lasted two days before they were finally extinguished.
Date | 25 September 1998 (1998-09-25) |
---|---|
Time | 12:26 pm (AEST) |
Duration | 20 days until normal gas supply resumed |
Venue | Esso Australia Resources Ltd. Longford Gas Plant 1 (GP1) |
Location | Longford, Victoria, Australia |
Coordinates | 38.224°S 147.167°E / -38.224; 147.167 |
Type | Jet fire and conflagration |
Cause | Low temperature embrittlement and thermal stress of a heat exchanger |
Outcome | - Fires lasting more than two days - Gas supplies to Victoria resumed on 14 October 1998 |
Deaths | 2 |
Non-fatal injuries | 8 |
Property damage | US$443 million (US$987 million in 2021) |
Inquiries | By royal commission, 12 November 1998 – 15 April 1999 |
Coroner | Graeme Johnstone |
Two workers were killed and eight others injured.[1] Natural gas supply to the state of Victoria was severely disrupted and were not fully restored until 14 October.[2] Total estimated property costs amounted to US$443 million (US$987 million in 2021),[3] while financial losses to the companies affected by the gas shortage were estimated at around A$1.3 billion.[4]
The Victorian state government established the Longford Royal Commission to publicly investigate the causes of the accident.