Three people were wounded on Wednesday, November 27, before dawn during a spectacular explosion at a Texas chemical plant in the southern United States. A worker suffers burns and was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Houston. The other two injured were fractured, one on the wrist, the other on the leg. One of them had already left the hospital on Wednesday morning, the judge added. According to him, none of the employees working on the site at the time of the accident is missing.
More than 200 people work in the plant, according to the website of the TPC group, which operates the petrochemical plant. "Please note that everyone must evacuate the area within half a mile (800 m) around the TPC plant in Port Neches », wrote local firefighters on Facebook.
"We woke up with glass all over us, sagging parts of the ceiling and ripped doors" by the blast of the explosion, said Ryan Mathewson, 25, who lives close to the factory with his family. A local judge, Jeff Branick, told the local news website KFDM News that three people were injured but no deaths were reported, which he described as 'Miracle'. Videos and photos shared on social networks show the violence of the explosion.
It looks like nothing. And then you see it. See more stunning video in the wake of the #PortNeches plant explosion … https://t.co/YUxdTBsN0x
The fire is still in progress
TPC reported that the explosion had occurred in a "Treatment unit" around 1am (8am in France) and that the site had been entirely evacuated. "The TPC Group has activated its emergency preparedness plan and has called for firefighters from Port Neches and Huntsman", explained the petrochemical group in a statement broadcast in the night.
"Rescue is always active to control the fire, as quickly and as securely as possible"said the group in a statement Wednesday morning. Teams were also deployed around the plant to conduct air quality checks, he added. "At this point, we can not talk about the causes of the accident or the extent of the damage, but TPC brings together a team to conduct a thorough and rigorous investigation"explained the group.
The society "Remains focused on protecting the safety of rescuers and the public, as well as reducing the impact (of the explosion) on the environment ". The plant produces butadiene, a flammable gas that is used in the production of synthetic rubber, as well as in petrochemical mixtures.
