Oil Disasters Disasters
The initial explosion destroyed eleven storage tanks at the facility, but quickly spread to other nearby tanks. The tanks contained gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel. The resulting explosion was measured as equivalent to a 2.8-magnitude earthquake on the Richter magnitude scale. The tanks exploded at approximately 12:23 a.m. and could be heard in places as far away as Cidra, 11 miles away and shook windows and doors over two miles away. At some point the flames reached a height of 100 feet (30 m) above the refinery.
The 2009 Cataño oil refinery fire was a fire that began with an explosion on October 23, 2009, and was extinguished on October 25 at the Caribbean Petroleum Corporation (CAPECO) oil refinery and oil depot in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. While the fire and subsequent explosion occurred close to the city of Cataño, it technically occurred within the borders of Bayamón, even though Cataño was more affected by fumes and evacuation. There were no fatalities, but 3 people were injured.
The explosion caused 30 million gallons of petroleum to be released into bodies of water and neighboring wetlands of the San Juan Bay, resulting in dead wildlife and a major health impact to the population. Environmental assessments conducted by the EPA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (PR DNR) found dead wildlife and both aquatic and avian species, including several legally protected species, covered in oil. Millions of dollars in damage were seen by neighboring communities. After the event, about 600 people were using shelters in Cataño, Guaynabo, and Toa Baja.
The five workers that were present at the plant at the moment managed to escape in time. Several drivers were injured when the explosion shattered the glass in their cars, two people suffered minor injuries at the nearby Fort Buchanan of the U.S. Army, and four other people sought help for respiratory problems. More details
