Twelve people have been indicted for the deadly gas explosions that rocked the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung in July this year (see Plasteurope.com of 13.08.2014). The accused include Lee Bowei, chairman of chemicals producer LCY (Taipei / Taiwan; www.lcygroup.com) as well as five other company employees.

The investigation launched by the authorities found that the explosions – which left 32 dead and 321 injured – were caused by a leak in a section of an LCY-owned underground propylene pipeline. The pipe reportedly crosses an illegally-built underground drainage culvert that exposed it to air and moisture, which in turn led it to erode.

The Kaohsiung District Prosecutor’s Office said that although workers of LCY and petrochemicals transportation company China General Terminal and Distribution Corporation (CGTD, www.cgtdc.com.tw) had discovered what they thought was a leak on the night of the accident, LCY still ordered CGTD to continue to transport C3 to its plant. The indicted also include three CGTD employees.

Aside from negligent behaviour on the night of the disaster itself, the authorities also accuse LCY of not having maintained or inspected the pipeline after it was first acquired as part of its 2007 takeover of Taiwan Polypropylene.