Recent Biogas and Sewer Methane Explosion Incidents Worldwide

Thankfully, as far as we are aware, there have been few methane explosions reported recently worldwide, which is good news because there have been deaths in the past when biogas has exploded.

There was an explosion in India at the start of 2013 which caused at least one death, which was reported as follows:

ᔥTwo labourers killed in Maharashtra gas explosion

Solapur (Maharashtra) : Two labourers were injured, one critically, in an explosion at a biogas factory while it was being constructed on the outskirts of the city, police said.
"Some labourers had undertaken drilling and welding work near a cement tank at the upcoming biogas plant Solapur Bio Energy Pvt. Ltd. However, they did not know of the gas in the tank," an official from Solapur's Jodbhave police station told IANS.
"An explosion took place after the gas leaked out due to drilling and welding near the tank. Two labourers have died and one is critically injured with severe burns," the official added.

Read more here.

There has also been an explosion in China, which was reported on March 30 2014, as follows:

ᔥBiogas explosion erupts in Xiamen sewer, no casualties reported

“The food stall was burning coals to cook soup in a pottery jar by the door at that time. Maybe its coal fire splashed into the sewer and caused the explosion,” he explained. However, the cause of the biogas explosion has not been confirmed. The case ...
A sewage gas explosion erupted in a sewer on Siming South Road in Xiamen on Friday morning, terrifying many residents around the site after hearing a loud bang caused by the explosion.

The explosion that occurred at 9:30 am has been brought under control. No casualties were reported, but the glass door of one nearby store and a section of the street was heavily damaged.

According to the work safety supervision bureau, the area of Siming South Road near the explosion is filled with food stalls. These stalls often dump their sewage and waster into the closed sewer, which easily produces a large quantity of highly flammable methane gas. 

Credits: Biogas explosion erupts in Xiamen sewer, no casualties reported - What's on Xiamen

Then there was our own report, on our sister blog, of on anaerobic digestion plant biogas explosion back in March of last year, which we wrote about :

ᔥAnaerobic Digester Plant Explosion

Nobody was hurt by this biogas incident...
Credits: Anaerobic Digester Plant Explosion Blamed on Gas Storage EPDM ...

Of course, if we look back in time a little further, there were the following biogas explosion incidents:

ᔥFour die in biogas plant explosion in Ernakulam

Aug 27 2009: By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,. Kochi: Four people were killed and several others injured when a biogas plant exploded at Aluva in Ernakulam yesterday. About six people are reported to be missing. The explosion ... 

Credits: Four die in biogas plant explosion in Ernakulam | TwoCircles.net

And finally:

Investigators believe the powerful explosion that rocked Kirinyaga Road on Sunday was caused by biogas from an underground room of a petrol station.

Credits: Biogas in room likely cause of city explosion, say ... - The Standard
 
If any of our readers know of other recent biogas explosion incidents, please use our comments facility below to tell us what you know. These incidents need publicizing so that the both biogas businesses and the health and safety authorities responsible globally, never forget of this danger.