Oil Refineries Haifa cooling tower collapses

The upper section of one of the twin cooling towers of Oil Refineries Ltd. (TASE:ORL) in Haifa Bay collapsed this morning. The cooling towers have been an iconic part of the Haifa Bay landscape since their construction during the British mandate but they have been in disuse since 2009.

This morning's incident follows the collapse of an adjacent wall two days ago by the nearby Visitors Center. The emergency services said there were no casualties.

Newly appointed Minister for Environmental Protection Gila Gamliel has said that dealing with the problems of Haifa Bay will be one of the top priorities during her term of office. She said, stressing that she is determined to remove the polluting industries in the region. "This is a significant symbol of the beginning of the end. This collapse happened accidentally but next time it will be deliberate. Haifa' residents deserve a healthy environment.

A Clean Haifa Bay activist said, "This is a small example of the conduct of Oil Refineries, which eight years ago chose to reinforce only one of the towers. We saw the results today. It was only a miracle that nobody was hurt."

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on June 12, 2020