Romanian prosecutors start investigation for manslaughter after fire at refinery

Romanian prosecutors have started an investigation on the fire that broke at the Petromidia refinery on Monday. Four people were burnt and one of them died at the hospital. Prosecutors now run the investigation for several crimes, including manslaughter and bodily harm by negligence. The case was forwarded to the Prosecutor's Office within the Court of Appeal Constanta. The prosecutors will look into the failure to take legal measures for safety and health at work. According to preliminary investigations, prosecutors found that a team of workers were engaged in the repair of a pipeline when the fire broke. The investigation team is made up of police and forensic specialists. Rompetrol Rafinare, the company that operates the Petromidia refinery, announced that it provided all the information the investigators requested. According to Rompetrol representatives, the equipment the four people were working on was functioning in normal parameters and their intervention was in accordance with the group’s protocol. The company also said that, according to the first investigations, there was no explosion before the fire. editor@romania-insider.com