| I think the AP number killed is four. This is al-Jizz... |
A huge explosion in a US petrochemical plant in Texas City has killed at least 14 people and left more than 100 people injured. The fire at the BP petrochemical plant on Wednesday triggered a major fire sending black smoke billowing into the sky. "It was just a real loud explosion," local resident Mike Martin said. "It sounded like a sonic boom, and it shook the pictures bad enough to where it knocked them off the wall. And it frightened me, so I jumped out of bed." Though what caused the blast is not yet known, authorities have ruled out terrorism as a cause. It is feared that the fatalities may rise. BP's Texas City plant is a sprawling industrial complex that stretches across 1200 acres with 30 refinery units. The plant processes 460 million barrels of crude oil every day, producing 3% of the US gasoline supply. It employs about 2000 people. Texas City is about 55km southeast of Houston. Last March, there was a blast and fire at a BP refinery in Texas City. |