Twenty-three people remain in hospital, six of them in serious condition, after a devastating blast at the biggest Ukrainian chemical plant, Stirol, in the east Ukrainian city of Horlivka.
The Aug. 6 blast claimed the lives of five
factory employees.
Stirol produces fertilisers, medicines and polyester, and is the biggest factory
in the industrial city of Horlivka, Donetsk Oblast, employing 4,000 people. It is
owned by the holding company of one of Ukraine’s richest oligarchs, Dmytro
Firtash’s Group DF.
Stirol’s press service
reported that on Aug. 7 Firtash met with the factory’s employees and said that
Stirol will pay Hr 1 million in compensation to each of the deceased workers’
families and will pay for the higher education of their children. He also
promised to pay compensation and cover medical bills for those injured. Prime Minister
Mykola Azarov said on Aug. 7 that the government will ensure all the necessary
aid is given to those affected.
According to a company statement, the blast occurred at approximately 2.30
p.m. on Aug. 6 during repair work at the factory, and was caused by a busted ammonium
pipe. The chemical is highly dangerous for humans, and can result in severe
burns and damage to respiratory organs.
The city quickly began to panic as rumors of the catastrophe spread like
wildfire. Many went to social media, like Facebook, to complain about headaches
and fatigue. However, local authorities assured that the level of ammonium in
the air was within permissible levels.
Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boyko, who went to Horlivka after the incident,
told local media that the accident “did not influence the environmental
situation in Horlivka.”
That does not mean Horlivka’s environment is fine. In 2013, the city of
260,000 was declared Ukraine’s dirtiest settlement by the Environment
Ministry. Horlivka is home to several chemical plants, coal mines and machine
building plants.
The reasons that caused the blast are being investigated. Deputy General Prosecutor
Anatoli Pryshko said the versions being considered
were: human error, managerial negligence that led to the poor state of the
ammonium pipes, and negligence of factory workers carrying out the repairs.
The factory’s owner Dmytro Firtash, who also arrived in Horlivka, assured the
press on Aug. 7 that a fair investigation would take place. Firtash said he
does not think human error caused the blast and blamed the poor condition of
the equipment.
He added that, in line with current industry standards, the equipment was
to be checked in 2014. “Stirol specialists will initiate a revision of the
norms and standards for the chemical industry, which are outdated and are not
consistent with modern demands,” Firtash said.
Kyiv Post staff writer Svitlana Tuchynska can be reached at [email protected]
