Romanian oil company sent to court for manslaughter after blast at Petromidia refinery

Prosecutors from the Prosecutor’s Office attached to Constanta Court of Appeal sent to court Romanian oil company Rompetrol Rafinare and contractor Rominserv in a case related to the blast at Petromidia refinery, earlier this year, which resulted in the death of two people. The two companies are charged with manslaughter, bodily harm by negligence, accidental pollution, and failure to take measures for safety and health at work, reports local Agerpres. Four people will also stand trial in this case, namely Cornel Titi Oancea, Daniel Stanciu, Vasile Caraman, and Ioan Marginean, for the same offenses. A blast followed by a fire occurred in the evening of August 22 on the Petromidia petrochemical platform near Constanta. Two nitrogen tanks and a petrol pump exploded, and the blast was followed by a strong fire, according to the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU). Two employees of Rominserv died following this incident, and two others were injured. Petromidia (Rompetrol Rafinare) is the largest Romanian oil refinery. The company’s majority shareholder is the Kazakh group KMG International while the Romanian state has a 44,69% stake. Rompetrol Rafinare managed to increase its pre-tax profit by 60% in the first six months of the year, although its turnover dropped by 14%. It's official: Chinese group CEFC sets foot in Romania via KMG Intenational takeover Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com