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CEO allays fears after explosion at TOL Mbeya branch
What you need to know:
- The company’s CEO, Daniel Warungu, has reassured the public that there were no fatalities or major injuries during the incident and that operations are already recovering.
Mbeya. An explosion at the Tanzania Oxygen Ltd (TOL) Ikama Carbon Dioxide Plant in Rungwe, Mbeya, has caused significant damage to the facility and surrounding infrastructure, The Citizen has reliably learnt.
However, the company’s CEO, Daniel Warungu, has reassured the public that there were no fatalities or major injuries during the incident and that operations are already recovering.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the explosion was triggered by excessive pressure within a road tanker, exceeding the safety limit of 18 bar. The failure of safety valves, which are designed to vent excess pressure, is believed to have contributed to the blast.
Speaking to The Citizen, Mr Warungu explained that the explosion occurred on one of TOL’s 9.5-metric-tonne (MT) road tankers used for transporting product from the Kyejo plant in Busokelo to the Ikama plant in Rungwe.
“We use these types of tankers to move products from our Kyejo plant, which is located 29 kilometres inland, to the Ikama plant. The road is not tarmacked, making it difficult for large trucks to access, and it’s possible that the tanker developed a crack due to material stress from the poor road conditions. This likely led to a sudden release of pressure and the subsequent explosion,” Mr Warungu said.
Despite the severity of the explosion, he reiterated that there were no serious injuries.
“The most important thing is that no one was seriously hurt, and we are nearly completing the recovery process. Iron sheets on nearby buildings were destroyed, but operations at the unaffected plants are continuing as normal. Our top priority is safety, and we are working diligently to maintain high industry standards for both safety and quality,” he said.
However, according to sources at the plant, the force of the blast propelled the road tanker into the air, where it damaged critical infrastructure, including the office block, canteen, CO2 Plant No. 1, diesel tanks and pumps. Additionally, a second road tanker, along with its prime mover, was destroyed in the explosion.
The nature of liquid CO2, which is stored at -50°C, created additional challenges. The extreme cold caused what is referred to as a “cold burn,” damaging the second road tanker and other plant equipment, including the quality analyser.
Independent sources within the plant speculate that the blast may have resulted from a failure in the safety valves, which are designed to vent excessive pressure and prevent such explosions. The investigation is ongoing, and TOL authorities are closely assessing the full extent of the damage.
The explosion has led to a temporary shutdown of certain parts of the facility, although Mr Warungu confirmed that production at other plants remains unaffected.
“We are proceeding with safety inspections, and we anticipate that production at the affected plant will return to normal by the end of next week,” he said.
Mr Warungu stressed that the safety and well-being of employees and the surrounding community remain the company’s highest priorities. TOL is committed to maintaining its reputation as a leader in safety and quality in the industry.
