A huge explosion was reported at Formosa Plastics’ factory in Linyuan, Taiwan, at 2:18 PM local time on Friday. A local media reported that the plant’s polypropylene (PP) storage tank burst into flames, and black smoke slammed into the sky. The Kaohsiung Fire Bureau dispatched a large team and managed to put the fire under control. The police were also deployed to the site.
Formosa Plastics said it suspected that the pressure of the PP storage tank was too high during operations, causing the safety valve to trip. The company reported no injuries nor casualties from the incident. The staff of Kaohsiung Environmental Protection Bureau were sent to the scene to monitor whether there was any risk of pollution. The investigation to determine the cause of the explosion is underway.
Details on the impact of the incident on Formosa Plastics’ operations remain unavailable. Market sources said the producer’s PVC plant ran normally.
