An explosion at a large outdoor oil storage tank at Korea National Oil Corporation Pipeline’s Yeongnam branch is preliminarily attributed to static electricity generated during a petroleum component verification process. The incident occurred at a large-scale oil storage facility housing 12 to 14 tanks, raising concerns that it could have escalated into a major disaster.
During an on-site briefing, officials stated, “An ignition source is required for an explosion, and we estimate static electricity was the cause.”