Washington [US], May 9: No injuries were reported after an explosion and a fire at a refinery in the New Orleans area on Friday, officials said.
Residents near Chalmette Refining said they heard an explosion at around 1 p.m. The refinery is in Chalmette, located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) east of New Orleans.
Chalmette Refining said in a post on social media that a fire broke out at an operating unit. The St. Bernard Fire Department worked with refinery personnel to bring the blaze under control.
"Everyone working in the area is safe and accounted for," the company said as quoted by AP. "The cause of the incident will be investigated."
Officials with St. Bernard Parish said in a social media post that emergency response teams remain on site monitoring the situation and the refinery informed them that "no toxic chemicals have impacted the air quality."
Source: Emirates News Agency
