An explosion has rocked an oil refinery in Texas, killing at least four people, according to local TV reports. Witnesses said the BP plant in Texas City was shaken by loud, powerful explosions with vast flames. Television pictures showed firefighters picking through the smoking wreckage, as emergency services warned people living nearby to stay indoors. US gasoline prices jumped to as word of the explosion hit financial markets, reaching $1.604 (£0.8589) per gallon. BP spokesman Hugh Depland did not give an official casualty figure, but confirmed that some people had died in the blast.
The explosion happened at 1330 (1930 GMT) at the western end of the plant, which covers an area of almost 500 hectares. The Texas City refinery, 35 miles (55km) from Houston, is the third biggest in the US, employing 2,000 people. It processes roughly 450 million barrels of crude oil each day. That figure is approximately 3% of the US' domestic oil supply and one-third of BP's output across the US.
In a statement, BP said: "Company and area emergency crews are responding and working to get the situation under control. BP can confirm the incident has caused multiple injuries and that one person has been life-flighted from the scene. Plant officials have not confirmed any fatalities," it said. Judith Mantell, 62, told the Houston Chronicle that the blast lifted her vehicle off the ground at her home five miles (8km) away. |