Transformer explodes at Formosa Plastics Corp., USA

09-May-08

A transformer exploded in the electrical station just outside Gate 3 at Formosa Plastics Corp. USA, shutting down power to most of the plant. Oil inside the transformer caught fire, sending flames out the flare towers and thick black smoke into the northwesterly winds. No one was reported injured. The cause of the explosion is unknown, though it is reported that electrical work was performed on the plant earlier in the day. Lacking power, Formosa's steam plant could not operate and thus could not smother the smoke rising from the flare towers.