IMPO's top five stories last week included video footage of a plant explosion, a semi recall and a deadly gas leak in China.
Check out last week's biggest stories:
Today In Manufacturing History: 2,000 Die In World’s Worst Industrial Accident: On Dec. 3, 1984, tragedy struck Bhopal, India after an explosion at a local pesticide plant released toxic gas throughout the city. An estimated 2,000 people were killed and approximately 200,000 were injured as a result of the accident. The night of December 2, when nitrogen was used to extract the MIC from the 15,000-gallon tanks, the process began to fail, leaking both chemicals. Gauges reflected dangerous pressure levels, but workers believed the equipment was simply malfunctioning and did nothing. Just after midnight, an explosion burst in the plant. Critics later said that the plant, which was located in a “particularly poor area” of the city, likely had many issues with an extreme lack of safety practices and insufficient maintenance.
Clinton Proposes Repealing Legislation That Shields Gun Manufacturers From Liability Suits: Hillary Clinton is issuing a fresh plea for stricter gun control after a mass shooting at a social service facility in southern California, saying that no parent should have to worry about being killed at a holiday party. "I don't believe we can stop every incident of gun violence but we can stop a lot of them," said Clinton, speaking at a Women's Economic Opportunity Summit at Southern New Hampshire University. "We need to take action now." Though gun control did not even merit a mention in Clinton's campaign kickoff speech last April, the issue has become a central cause of her presidential bid in recent months after a series of mass shootings reignited debate over gun laws.
Video Reportedly Shows Clear View Of Chemical Plant Explosion In China: Video uploaded to YouTube last week purports to show a massive explosion at a Chinese chemical plant only weeks after deadly explosions rocked the country's chemical sector. The video initially shows flames and smoke spewing from part of the plant, with firefighters apparently combating the blaze. At the 27-second mark, the plant erupts in a series of explosions as smoke billows high into the air.
Peterbilt Recalls Semis That Go Faster Than Tires Can Handle: A heavy truck manufacturer has volunteered to recall more than 2,000 semis because they can travel at speeds greater than their tires can safely handle. The move by Peterbilt in the U.S. and Canada raises questions about the safety of trucks still on U.S. roads that are equipped with as many as 10,000 of the same tires. Peterbilt said it would recall the tractors from the 2009 to 2016 model years because they can go faster than 75 miles per hour, even though the maximum speed their Michelin tires can handle is 65 mph. The trucks are used mainly for hauling automobiles.
Steel Factory Gas Leak Kills 10, Injures 7 In Eastern China: A gas leak at a steel parts factory in eastern China killed 10 people and left seven others hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning in the latest deadly industrial accident to hit China, officials said last Monday. The leak occurred late Saturday, Nov. 28, and poisoned 17 people, five of whom died immediately, the Zouping County government said on its official microblog. It said five more died early last Sunday, and the cause of the leak was under investigation.