Two people fall into nitrogen basin at Romania’s Petromidia refinery

Several fire and medical crews were dispatched to the Petromidia refinery in the Romanian city of Năvodari after two people fell into a nitrogen basin. The victims, a man and a woman, were found unconscious. They were both taken to the hospital, but the former, a 55-year-old man, was pronounced dead. The woman remains in critical condition.

"On May 13, at around 5:15 p.m., police officers from the Năvodari Police Department were notified of an industrial accident at a refinery in Năvodari. Initial information suggests that two employees fell into a nitrogen tank," said police representatives, cited by News.ro. Representatives from the Constanța County Ambulance Service later announced that the man was pronounced dead.

Petromidia refinery, operated by Rompetrol, is the largest Romanian oil refinery and one of the largest in Eastern Europe, located in Năvodari, Constanța county. The company has initiated its own investigation and stated that the incident occurred during routine maneuvers.

Law enforcement remained on-site to investigate how the two fell in the nitrogen basin. The Constanța County Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISU) added the woman is in grave condition.

The chief inspector of the Constanța County Labor Inspectorate, Marian Becheanu, told News.ro that an investigation has been initiated in this case.

(Photo source: Rompetrol on FB)