BP under fire over safety after 15 deaths in explosion

Oil giant BP was under fresh pressure today after American safety officials said budget cuts and a lack of leadership contributed to “significant safety problems” at the group’s Texas City plant, where 15 people were killed in an explosion.

BP management knew about maintenance, spending and infrastructure problems well before the blast in March 2005 which also injured more than 170, the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) said in preliminary findings.