Spyros disaster
Encyclopedia
The Spyros disaster was a major industrial disaster
that occurred in Singapore
. The Greek
tanker
Spyros exploded
at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore on October 12, 1978. It killed 76 people, and remains as Singapore's worst accident, in terms of lives lost, in Singapore's post-war history. It is also Singapore's worst industrial accident.
and operated by International Operations, SA. The Liberian-registered vessel was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
of Japan in 1964 and was a steam turbine-driven tanker of 64,081 tons deadweight.
On 6 October 1978, the Spyros arrived in Singapore for a full special survey and general repairs at Jurong Shipyard. One of the items for repair was the replacement of the missing cover for the drip tray of the vent pipe leading from the aft starboard fuel oil tank.
and boiler
rooms of the vessel after their lunch break for repair and cleaning work. A number of the ship's 32 crew
were also on board.
The blast flung debris
from the 35,600-tonne vessel as far as 100 metres away and started a flash fire
that prevented dockside workers from rescuing those trapped inside the ship.
Rescue workers went into the ship's engine and boiler rooms to search for missing workers. Eight fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene and after the fire was doused, more rescue workers poured into the ship to help the injured and remove the dead. The injured were ferried to hospital in ambulances and helicopters.
to Alexandra Hospital
and Singapore General Hospital
. Most of those warded suffered serious burns
, with their conditions described as critical. Others, including four firemen, were treated for inhalation
of toxic
gas
and shock.
Those who died instantly, perhaps mercifully, were saved the agony of a lingering death like many who suffered severe burns and died on reaching the hospital.
Soon after the accident, greater safety consciousness in the shipbuilding and repairing industry was enforced.
Disaster
A disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
that occurred in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
Spyros exploded
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
at Jurong Shipyard in Singapore on October 12, 1978. It killed 76 people, and remains as Singapore's worst accident, in terms of lives lost, in Singapore's post-war history. It is also Singapore's worst industrial accident.
Background
The Spyros was owned by Ulysses Tanker Corporation of LiberiaLiberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and operated by International Operations, SA. The Liberian-registered vessel was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
of Japan in 1964 and was a steam turbine-driven tanker of 64,081 tons deadweight.
On 6 October 1978, the Spyros arrived in Singapore for a full special survey and general repairs at Jurong Shipyard. One of the items for repair was the replacement of the missing cover for the drip tray of the vent pipe leading from the aft starboard fuel oil tank.
Explosion
At around 2:15 p.m., Spyros exploded. The explosion occurred as about 150 workers, including women, returned to the engineEngine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
and boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
rooms of the vessel after their lunch break for repair and cleaning work. A number of the ship's 32 crew
Crew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
were also on board.
The blast flung debris
Debris
Debris is rubble, wreckage, ruins, litter and discarded garbage/refuse/trash, scattered remains of something destroyed, or, in geology, large rock fragments left by a melting glacier etc. The singular form of debris is debris...
from the 35,600-tonne vessel as far as 100 metres away and started a flash fire
Flash fire
A flash fire is a sudden, intense fire caused by ignition of a mixture of air and a dispersed flammable substance such as a solid , flammable or combustible liquid , or a flammable gas...
that prevented dockside workers from rescuing those trapped inside the ship.
Rescue works
Minutes after the accident, an extensive rescue operation swung into action, involving the police, military and medical services. All hospitals were alerted to be on stand-by for casualties.Rescue workers went into the ship's engine and boiler rooms to search for missing workers. Eight fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene and after the fire was doused, more rescue workers poured into the ship to help the injured and remove the dead. The injured were ferried to hospital in ambulances and helicopters.
Casualties
A total of 76 died during the accident, with many more injured. The wounded were ferried by ambulance and helicopterHelicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to Alexandra Hospital
Alexandra Hospital
Alexandra Hospital is a 400-bed hospital located in the south-western part of Singapore. Nestled in a 110,000 square metre land, the hospital is a picture of tranquil setting, lined with mostly colonial style buildings built since the late 1930s...
and Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital
The Singapore General Hospital is the largest and oldest hospital in Singapore, of which the foundation of its first building was laid in 1821....
. Most of those warded suffered serious burns
Burn (injury)
A burn is a type of injury to flesh caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, light, radiation or friction. Most burns affect only the skin . Rarely, deeper tissues, such as muscle, bone, and blood vessels can also be injured...
, with their conditions described as critical. Others, including four firemen, were treated for inhalation
Inhalation
Inhalation is the movement of air from the external environment, through the air ways, and into the alveoli....
of toxic
Toxin
A toxin is a poisonous substance produced within living cells or organisms; man-made substances created by artificial processes are thus excluded...
gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
and shock.
Those who died instantly, perhaps mercifully, were saved the agony of a lingering death like many who suffered severe burns and died on reaching the hospital.
Causes of disaster
An inquiry found that safety practices were ignored when repairs were carried out on the vessel. Sparks from the cutting torch used during repairs, caused a fire which ignited an explosive vapour mixture within the aft starboard bunker tank of the vessel. The fuel tank had been contaminated by crude oil. The explosion ruptured the common bulkhead between the tank and the engine room, releasing the burning oil into the engine room and setting it on fire, killing the workers there instantly.Soon after the accident, greater safety consciousness in the shipbuilding and repairing industry was enforced.