Indian ambassador H E Sibi George condoled the death of the two Indian nationals who were killed in the fire accident at the Kuwait refinery on Jan 14. Ambassador Sibi George also visited Al-Babtain Hospital with Hon’ble Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil where 5 wokers were being treated in intensive care .

The Executive Vice President of Support Services at the National Petroleum Company, Abdulaziz Al-Duaij, told Al-Rai that the fire that broke out in Unit No. 32 of the Gas Liquefaction Factory in Al-Ahmadi Refinery resulted in 10 injuries, 5 of them serious, and two deaths of contractor workers.

The National Petroleum Company announced that it was able to fully control the fire that broke out in the gas liquefaction unit No. 32 of the company’s Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, and confirmed that “the refinery operations and export operations were not affected by the fire,” and the local marketing and supply operations of the Ministry of Electricity and Water were not affected as well, because the damaged unit was out of service for maintenance work.

The company reported that 10 injuries were recorded as a result of the gas liquefaction unit fire at Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery.

7 of the injured were transferred to Al-Adan Hospital to complete treatment, 5 of them with severe burns and 2 with moderate burns, while 3 minor burn injuries are currently being treated at the refinery clinic.”

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water inspected the site after controlling the fire.

The company had announced earlier, “a fire occurred during the maintenance operations of the gas liquefaction unit No. 32 at the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery,” explaining that it had activated the emergency plan.

Investigation

Today, Friday, the Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy, Dr. Muhammad Al-Faris, issued directives to form a high-level, impartial technical investigation committee whose members will be experienced and specialized to study and evaluate the Ahmadi refinery fire accident and determine its causes.

Al-Fares said in a press statement that the committee will determine if there has been any failure by any party and set the necessary mechanisms to avoid such a case in the future and will urgently submit its recommendations to the Minister and the Chairman of the Petroleum Corporation’s board of directors to take the necessary action based on the results of the investigation.

Al-Fares also visited Al-Babtain Center to inspect the conditions of the injured as a result of the fire, in order to check on their health condition, in the presence of the Indian ambassador H E Sibi George

The labor union expressed its deep sadness and sorrow that there were two deaths of contractor workers in the fire.

He stressed that the oil companies should stop the policy of bringing in unskilled foreign workers from the contractors, whom they noticed the contractor’s lack of application in security and safety procedures, and their workers are not trained in them in the required manner.

He added that in light of the availability of a large number of skilled national labor in who have required degrees in the disciplines in all sectors, including those who work in the oil sector under the “Kuwaitization” system, but unfortunately we see how they are marginalized. by contractors.

He added that the contractor companies are looking to reduce costs and achieve profits first and foremost, and all this is at the expense of workers’ lives, and they do not care about the losses of public facilities, and these are some of the reasons for the recurrence of accidents and losses.

The union valued the efforts of the firefighting teams in dealing with the fire, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured and the safety of the rest of the refinery’s workers.

Kuwaitization

For his part, the head of the Kuwait Oil Union Abbas Awad stressed that unions must be involved in legislating and amending laws to solve problems in a realistic and radical manner, especially with regard to the issue of Kuwaitization and replacement.

Awad said, during his meeting with MP Dr. Hassan Jawhar, to discuss the problems of Kuwaitization, unemployment and the replacement plan to find radical and realistic solutions. We did not and will not fail for a day to participate in any amendment that is in the interest of citizens and workers, and we will not forget that we are in an oil state and this sector will not grow except with its citizens


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