Lawsuit Over Fatal Explosion at Oklahoma Refinery

Two women whose husbands were killed in a boiler explosion at a crude oil refinery in Wynnewood, Okla., have filed a negligence lawsuit.

The lawsuit filed in Fort Bend County, Texas, by LeeAnna Mann and Kari Smith seeks more than $1 million. It was filed in the Texas county that’s headquarters to CVR Energy, the parent company of Wynnewood Refining Co.

The Oklahoman reports that CVR Energy vice president for corporate affairs Angie Dasbach declined comment on the lawsuit and called the blast a “tragedy.”

The Sept. 28, 2012, explosion killed 45-year-old Russell Mann and 34-year-old Billy Smith. The lawsuit alleges the company was using an outdated boiler that had to be restarted manually instead of a system that would allow employees to restart the boiler from a remote location.