Industrial

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Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has confirmed that two workers died during a routine maintenance operation at its Jebel Ali site on the evening of 13 August

The men were working at an industrial furnace, which was shut down for routine maintenance and was not operational at the time. According to a report in The National, the men, whose identities have not been disclosed, were standing in front of a furnace when bricks collapsed on top of them, pushing them inside the smelter and trapping them.

A company statement states that EGA’s emergency response procedures were activated, and the relevant authorities in Dubai were notified and have been providing support at Jebel Ali.

A team of EGA specialists is currently investigating the incident to understand the factors involved. A police investigation into the cause of the accident is also underway.

EGA, which is owned jointly by Mubadala Investment Compnay of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai, operates aluminium smelters in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, producing 2.5 mn tonnes of cast metal in 2017. Employing more than 8,000 people and supplying customers in more than 60 countries, the company continues to expand both at home and abroad. In the UAE it is building an alumina refinery, the second in the Middle East, while international projects include the development of a bauxite mine and associated export facilities in the Republic of Guinea.