[Unofficial translation provided by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre]

“‘Two casualties’ Ulsan oil tank explosion...‘static electricity’? ‘Request for forensic examination’” 17 February 2025

A joint investigation to determine the exact cause of an oil storage tank explosion at United Terminals Korea (UTK) in Ulsan that killed two people began on Sunday.

…At around 11:15 a.m., on February 10th, a tank containing fuel at the United Terminal Korea factory in Ulsan exploded and caught fire for unknown reasons. Two workers in their 30s, Mr A and B, who were conducting sampling work to determine the amount of oil loaded, were affected.

…As the workers opened the top hatch of the 14.6-metre-high tank, a loud explosion and flames erupted. They were later found by company officials on the ground near the tank.

Both men were rushed to hospital, but Mr A, who suffered a full-body fracture, later died, while Mr B is being treated in hospital for a non-life-threatening lower back injury.

A company official, at a briefing at the time of the fire, said that “the top of the tank is where oil vapour rises, so there is a risk of fire… it seems that this [risk] was treated insufficiently.”