Five Die in Explosion at Curacao Shipyard

Early Thursday, September 20, a large explosion shook the Curacao Drydock Shipyard, killing five local workers and severely injuring many others on the small Dutch Carribean island of Curacao off the north coast of Venezuela. The explosion was reportedly closely followed by another that left firefighters still trying to put out the flames at noon, local time.

Though the full cause of the explosion is still unknown, it is known that the incident occurred while workers were attempting to repair the 4,327-gross ton Seamec II, owned by South East Asia Marine. Supposedly workers were cutting the vessel’s hull to retrieve a piece of machinery when flames erupted. Many suspect that workers hit an oxygen line or some other gas line. However, the company states that its chemist checked the vessel for any dangerous substances, including gasses, before allowing the repair work to commence.

The ages of the victims ranged greatly. Some had worked for Curacao Drydock Company for over twenty years, while the youngest was only twenty years old. The Governor of St. Maarten, Franklyn Richards, expressed “profound sympathy and [an] expression of solidarity with surviving relatives and victims of this disaster.” Reportedly this was the first such incident to occur in the area in thirty years.

Curacao is known for its coral reefs and its oil refinery, La Isla. Run by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), a Venezuelan state-owned petroleum company, the refinery produces 320,000 barrels a day. When MarEx went online, no official statement from PDVSA had been released.