RIYADH: Four expatriate workers were injured in an accidental blast that occurred while they were fixing a gas leak at a can manufacturing plant in Dammam, according to sources. The accident took place on Wednesday when the maintenance workers – three Sri Lankans and one Indian national - were fixing a leaking gas converter at a plant at the United Arab Can Manufacturing Company in the Second Industrial City, Dammam. According to a source, three of the injured are said to be in serious condition. Sarath Anil, 48, married with a 14-year-old son; and Anil and Lionel, both in their 40s are Sri Lankan nationals reported to be in a serious condition. Kareem, also in his 40s from Hyderabad, the capital city of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, is recuperating at Al-Mana Hospital, where the four were immediately rushed for treatment. All four were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for emergency treatment, the source said. The explosion was so powerful that the three Sri Lankan workers suffered severe burns. “Their condition is deteriorating by the day,” said the source. There has been some improvement in the condition of the Indian worker, who was moved to a normal ward, he said. Ahmed A. Al-Ghelaigah, information technology, human resources manager and Legal Counsel of the United Arab Can Manufacturing Company, confirmed the accident took place and said the primary responsibility of the company is to save the lives of the workers. “We are trying our best to provide the best healthcare services available in the region,” he told Saudi Gazette over the phone. Al-Ghelaigah denied allegations that the company was poorly equipped in terms of safety measures and did not have properly protective clothing for its maintenance workers. Al-Ghelaigah claimed that the accident was the first such incident in the 15-year history of the company. “The company has all the safety [measures] in place, as evidenced from the safety record,” he said. Four workers are undergoing treatment at the hospital “and one of the workers will be discharged soon,” he said referring to Kareem, who has been responding to treatment. He said the expatriates have been workers in the maintenance department of the company for the past 10 years. According to a source, the injured walked to the ambulance but lost consciousness after reaching the hospital. “The doctors are unable to diagnose the nature of the injuries caused to the three Sri Lankans by the blast. Even if they survive they would lose their eyesight,” said the source quoting a duty doctor.
