Two dead, one critical following mill gas leak

May 24, 2018 at 11:27 pm by Staff


A toxic gas leak at Norske Skog's Albury, NSW, newsprint mill has left two workers dead and a third critical in hospital.

The staff were reported to have been overwhelmed by a gas - thought to be hydrogen sulphide - while working on a tank prior to the recommissioning of the mill after an annual maintenance shutdown.

Three Norske Skog staff and a contractor had been working on the tank, checking valves, when the accident occurred. They were among about 200 staff and contractors onsite at the time.

A 28-year-man died in hospital yesterday following burns and gas inhalation, and a 37-year-old man died this morning after the accident. A third man, aged 22 is critical in Albury Base Hospital. Another 15 workers had been taken to hospital, where one remains in "stable condition".

The two workplace deaths are the first since the mill opened 37 years ago, although firefighters were called to the mill last month when a fire got out of control, destroying 300 tons of paper.

Norske Skog changed hands earlier this month when it was bought out of bankruptcy by London-based private equity company Oceanwood Opportunities Master Fund.


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