Deadly tanker blast finding
Two metalworkers and those overseeing the repairs they carried out last year on the Friendship Gas tanker in Perama dockyards, resulting in an explosion that killed eight people, were to blame for the accident, according to a report filed with a Piraeus prosecutor. The experts’ assessment found that the two employees, who were both killed, did not realize that sparks from their welding torch were falling on rubber pipes carrying gas or on other debris that caught fire and caused the explosion on the Friendship Gas last July. The report also highlights the lack of safety measures on board the ship. Experts believe that clearly marked exit signs and the regular clearing away of debris could have prevented the loss of life. The blast on the Friendship Gas was the worst accident of its kind in more than two decades. The trial of those involved is due to begin in a few days.
