Deaths, injuries in Texas refinery blast
Undetermined number dead, 100-plus injured
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:13 p.m. ET March 23, 2005
TEXAS CITY, Texas - An explosion rocked a BP oil refinery Wednesday, killing an undetermined number of people, injuring more than 100 and sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky, authorities said.
BP spokesman Neil Chapman confirmed fatalities but did not have a total number. The fire was extinguished after a few hours, and workers were searching through rubble for survivors or bodies. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
Plant worker Charles Gregory said he and several co-workers were inside a trailer getting ready to clean the tank when the floor started rumbling. “After that is when it exploded,” he said.
“It was real scary,” he said. “Have you ever heard the thunder real loud? It was like 10 times that.”
Federal investigators heading to scene
The explosion occurred in a part of the plant used to boost the octane level of gasoline. BP spokeswoman Annie Smith said terrorism “is not a primary focus of our investigation.”
Federal investigators had been dispatched, said Daniel Horowitz, director of public affairs for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
At least three of the injured were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, officials said.
The plant in Texas City, about 35 miles southeast of Houston, sprawls across 1,200 acres with 30 refinery units. About 433,000 barrels of crude oil are processed a day, producing 3 percent of the U.S. supply. The plant employs about 1,800 people.
A refinery explosion forced the evacuation of the plant for several hours in March. Afterward, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the refinery $63,000 for safety violations, including problems with its emergency shutdown system and employee training.
OSHA also fined the refinery after two employees were burned to death by superheated water in September.
It was not immediately clear how production at the plant would be affected by Wednesday’s explosion.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Undetermined number dead, 100-plus injured
The Associated Press
Updated: 7:13 p.m. ET March 23, 2005
TEXAS CITY, Texas - An explosion rocked a BP oil refinery Wednesday, killing an undetermined number of people, injuring more than 100 and sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky, authorities said.
BP spokesman Neil Chapman confirmed fatalities but did not have a total number. The fire was extinguished after a few hours, and workers were searching through rubble for survivors or bodies. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.
Plant worker Charles Gregory said he and several co-workers were inside a trailer getting ready to clean the tank when the floor started rumbling. “After that is when it exploded,” he said.
“It was real scary,” he said. “Have you ever heard the thunder real loud? It was like 10 times that.”
Federal investigators heading to scene
The explosion occurred in a part of the plant used to boost the octane level of gasoline. BP spokeswoman Annie Smith said terrorism “is not a primary focus of our investigation.”
Federal investigators had been dispatched, said Daniel Horowitz, director of public affairs for the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
At least three of the injured were in critical condition and one was in serious condition, officials said.
The plant in Texas City, about 35 miles southeast of Houston, sprawls across 1,200 acres with 30 refinery units. About 433,000 barrels of crude oil are processed a day, producing 3 percent of the U.S. supply. The plant employs about 1,800 people.
A refinery explosion forced the evacuation of the plant for several hours in March. Afterward, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the refinery $63,000 for safety violations, including problems with its emergency shutdown system and employee training.
OSHA also fined the refinery after two employees were burned to death by superheated water in September.
It was not immediately clear how production at the plant would be affected by Wednesday’s explosion.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
