Reuters Canada June 2, 2011 5:30pm EDT
Two people have reportedly been killed in a fire involving a process tank and a truck broke on Thursday at Chevron's oil refinery in southwest Wales.
The BBC said there were reports that two people had been killed in the fire and an explosion.
The Welsh Ambulance Service said there were casualties at the scene, but there was no official confirmation of any deaths.
The fire service said the fire at the 220,000 barrel per day Pembroke refinery, which sent a pall of black smoke into the air, had been put out.
A spokesman for the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told Reuters there had been a fire at a process tank at the refinery and a fire and explosion involving a heavy-goods vehicle -- a term which could cover a truck or a tanker.
He had no further details about what had happened.
"I was in the back garden and I just heard a large explosion, looked around and I could see a fireball rising up into the sky," local resident Phil Horne told the BBC, adding that smoke billowed out for between 30 and 45 minutes.
The fire service said it sent 10 emergency vehicles to the scene and the ambulance service said it responded with three ambulances and an air ambulance.
Chevron confirmed an "incident" had occurred at the refinery at 6:20 p.m. (1720 GMT) and that the fire had been extinguished, but gave no further details about it or about any injuries.
"Emergency services were called and responded immediately and remain on the scene. ... We are taking appropriate action to respond to the situation. We are still in the process of accounting for all personnel," Chevron said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for Britain's Health and Safety Executive, an independent watchdog for workplace safety issues, said the agency was aware of the incident and making initial enquiries.
Two people have reportedly been killed in a fire involving a process tank and a truck broke on Thursday at Chevron's oil refinery in southwest Wales.
The BBC said there were reports that two people had been killed in the fire and an explosion.
The Welsh Ambulance Service said there were casualties at the scene, but there was no official confirmation of any deaths.
The fire service said the fire at the 220,000 barrel per day Pembroke refinery, which sent a pall of black smoke into the air, had been put out.
A spokesman for the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service told Reuters there had been a fire at a process tank at the refinery and a fire and explosion involving a heavy-goods vehicle -- a term which could cover a truck or a tanker.
He had no further details about what had happened.
"I was in the back garden and I just heard a large explosion, looked around and I could see a fireball rising up into the sky," local resident Phil Horne told the BBC, adding that smoke billowed out for between 30 and 45 minutes.
The fire service said it sent 10 emergency vehicles to the scene and the ambulance service said it responded with three ambulances and an air ambulance.
Chevron confirmed an "incident" had occurred at the refinery at 6:20 p.m. (1720 GMT) and that the fire had been extinguished, but gave no further details about it or about any injuries.
"Emergency services were called and responded immediately and remain on the scene. ... We are taking appropriate action to respond to the situation. We are still in the process of accounting for all personnel," Chevron said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for Britain's Health and Safety Executive, an independent watchdog for workplace safety issues, said the agency was aware of the incident and making initial enquiries.
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