Alberta: Explosion at Suncor Tarsands Plant

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Ottawa Citizen

Explosion at Suncor tarsands plant in northern Alberta sends four to hospital

FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. (CP) - An explosion at Suncor Energy's tarsands plant in northeastern Alberta on Wednesday sent four people to hospital.

A Suncor official said no one was seriously injured in "a small explosion" which occurred about 5 p.m. local time at the company's extraction plant, about 25 kilometres north of Fort McMurray. Two people were in stable condition and two others were being treated for minor injuries in hospital in Fort McMurray, said Brenda Erskine, a Suncor spokeswoman.

She said several others were receiving treatment at the company's health centre.

The heavy oil mining site was the scene of a fatal explosion more than a year ago. A blast on February, 22, 2000, that was linked to a propane tank on a welding truck killed one worker and injured another.

Ian Kerr of Stony Plain was the fifth fatality at the Suncor site in the past seven years. Charges were laid under the Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act against three contracting companies.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), March 07, 2001


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