One worker dies and another seriously injured in accident at Mazeikiu Nafta refinery

One worker died and another was seriously injured in an accident at a Polish-controlled oil refinery. Both workers were Polish.

Photo: One worker dies and another seriously injured in accident at Mazeikiu Nafta refinery

One worker dies and another seriously injured in accident at Mazeikiu Nafta refinery

"A metal pipe fell on two workers, ages 55 and 51. One of them died, and the other was hospitalized. We are investigating the causes of the incident," Mindaugas Voldemaras, spokesman of the Mazeikiu Nafta refinery, said.

The fatal accident occurred two weeks after Lithuanian prosecutors accused two American executives running the refinery of negligence that led to a fire last October. The fire caused 131 litas (EUR37.9 million, US$38 million) in damages and caused oil handling to plunge.

CEO Paul Nelson English and his deputy, Barton Lee Luck, have been barred from leaving Lithuania for the duration of the investigation. They have reportedly denied the charges leveled against them.

Mazeikiu Nafta, Lithuania's largest corporation, was sold last year to Poland's PKN Orlen, Eastern Europe's largest gasoline retailer, for US$2.3 billion.