A large explosion and fire at the Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, forced the shutdown of the facility, one of the largest in the United States.
The incident happened on the evening of Monday, March 23, at the refinery’s 47,000-barrel-per-day diesel hydrotreater unit. The blast was so strong it could be heard up to 11 miles away.
Firefighters quickly responded, and the fire was extinguished by Tuesday, March 24. All personnel at the refinery were accounted for, and no casualties were reported.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for parts of the west side of Port Arthur to ensure residents’ safety, but it was lifted early Tuesday morning after air quality monitoring showed no risks.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but authorities do not suspect any deliberate action. Valero confirmed the incident and said it is working with local agencies to assess the damage and ensure safe operations before reopening.
Shutting
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