LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS ROAD TANKER EXPLOSION

摘要

On the 20th of October 2011 there was a traffic accident in Murcia (Spain) involving a Liquid Natural Gas tanker which resulted in the cargo exploding. This the second explosion of this type recorded in the World, following that which occurred in Tivissa (Spain) in 2002. The initial accident occurred when the tanker collided with another lorry which was stationary on the hard shoulder. A fire started immediately igniting plastic and rubber materials and the fuel tank and which finally engulfed the cargo tank. The cargo tank was of a single wall construction with polyurethane insulation and aluminium cladding. The inlet and outlet pipes for both liquid and gas were fitted with valves flush with the tank wall but there were other connections from the tank leading to the exterior. One of these connections was broken as a result of the accident and this allowed the tank contents to leak and feed the fire. The fire was burning for 71 minutes at which time the tank exploded and collapsed. The fireball that resulted was 124 metres high with a radius of 82 metres. Further damage was caused by thermal radiation, a pressure wave (broken windows) and debris being thrown over a distance of 200 metres. The only fatality was the driver of the tanker.