Newsday

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- An explosion at oil refinery in a central western state killed one worker Thursday, the government-run oil company Petrobras said.

Rogerio da Silva, 41, was killed instantly when a tanker truck being loaded with naphtha exploded at the Regap refinery in Betim, 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Rio de Janeiro.

The company is investigating the cause of the accident. Oil production at the refinery was unaffected, the company said.

According to Oil Workers Union of Minas Gerais state, workers have repeatedly complained about safety conditions at the refinery.

The Union said Silva was the 10th oil worker to die at the refinery in six years. The worst accident at the refinery occurred in 1998 when an explosion killed six people and wounded six others.

AP-NY-08-02-01 1907EDT< 

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 03, 2001