Officials are increasingly thinking a welding accident was behind Tuesday’s blast at India’s Cochin Shipyard, which killed five workers and injured many more.
The explosion happened during routine maintenance work of an oil rig belonging to ONGC.
Investigations are still ongoing but the yard’s managing director Madhu Nair has gone on the record to say the yard suspects the leakage of acetylene as the cause.
“We suspect the cause of explosion to be gas entrapment, oxygen or acetylene, in various pockets of the 237-cubic meter capacity tank. This as welding works were progressing in the potable water tank. However, only a detailed probe would reveal the exact cause,” he said.