Tacoa disaster
1982 oil tank fire in Venezuela / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tacoa disaster (Spanish: tragedia de Tacoa) occurred on December 19, 1982 as a result of a fuel oil tank fire on the premises of the Ricardo Zuloaga thermal power plant, owned by Electricidad de Caracas and located in Tacoa, a seaside village and an area of Vargas, Venezuela.[1][2]
Quick Facts Date, Venue ...
Date | December 19, 1982 (1982-12-19) |
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Venue | Ricardo Zuloaga thermal power plant |
Location | Tacoa, Vargas, Venezuela |
Coordinates | 10°34′59″N 67°04′49″W |
Type | Boilover |
Cause | Presence of undrained water layer in a fuel oil tank |
Deaths | ca. 150 |
Property damage | ca. 50 million USD |
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There were 150 or more victims, amongst them many firemen, journalists and bystanders. All but two (who were killed in the initial tank explosion) fell as a result of a massive boilover from one of the affected tanks. It is the deadliest industrial accident ever occurred in Venezuela[3] and the deadliest tank fire ever occurred worldwide.[4]