On Monday 17th August 1987, a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage unit caught fire and subsequently created a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) at a Cairns gas terminal. The LPG unit was carrying approximately 40000 litres of LPG when it collapsed in the immense heat, creating a fireball that killed one person and injured 27, including three firefighters.
Boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion (BLEVE), Cairns, 1987
Quick Statistics
1
Fatalities
27
Injured
Sources
Bottrill, G. and Vijayaraghavan, G., 'Practical electrical equipment and installations in hazardous areas,' 2005, website viewed 11 May 2011.
Department of Emergency Services, 'Chem Services the leader in hazardous substance management,' September 2005, website viewed 11 May 2011.
Hopkins, J. McE, LPG rail tank car accident report : 22-tonne LPG rail tank car BLEVE at Gas Corporation of Queensland Limited gasworks and LPG terminal, Bunda Street, Cairns, 17th August, 1987, viewed on Trove website (ID 19149932), 17 December 2013.