One dead, another in coma after inhaling toxic gas from waste oil tank

Published : Nov 13, 2019 - 21:58 Updated : Nov 14, 2019 - 08:30

One man was killed and another injured after inhaling toxic gas in an offshore waste oil tank on Wednesday, the coast guard said.

The incident occurred in an oil storage structure docked near a shipbuilding yard in the southeastern port city of Busan.

(Yonhap)

Officers from the Busan Coast Guard found the chief executive of an oil waste collection company, identified by his surname, Jeong, and a worker, surnamed Lee, unconscious inside the tank.

Jeong in his 30s died later in hospital and Lee, 62, is in a coma, according to the authorities.

The chief executive went inside the tank at 9:30 a.m. after he saw the worker lie down unconscious after inhaling toxic gas.

Before entering, he asked a nearby ship's captain for help.

Coast Guard officials said they have yet to determine why Lee was inside the tank because there was no witness. They are investigating the operator of the oil storage facility to find out the exact cause of the accident.(Yonhap)