Huge blast kills 24 people in Venezuela as one of the biggest refineries in the world is engulfed in massive fire ball- 10-year-old boy and National Guard troops among the dead
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By Associated Press Reporter
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+ f6 |( b! y Q, O6 V" x" p- F- F0 ~tvb now,tvbnow,bttvbA huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery early on Saturday, killing at least 24 people and injuring more than 50 others in the deadliest disaster in memory for the country's key oil industry.
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Balls of fire rose over the Amuay refinery, one of the largest in the world, in video posted on the Internet by people who were nearby at the time.
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Those killed included a 10-year-old boy, and at least 53 people were injured, Falcon state Gov. Stella Lugo said on state television. She said firefighters had controlled the flames at the refinery on the Paraguana Peninsula in western Venezuela, where large clouds of smoke were rising.
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Blast: A fire is seen after an explosion at Amuay oil refinery in Punto Fijo, in the Peninsula of Paraguana on Saturday' i7 e4 {8 h: b" [4 z/ y7 n
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9 E% Y: a1 E2 G& _公仔箱論壇Raging: A fire burns after the explosion. Officials said 'the blast wave was of a significant magnitude'TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。, A! F( r: j, a& v0 U- K- Y" o
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At least 24 people were killed, many of them National Guard troops stationed at the refinery, Vice President Elias Jaua said on television after traveling to the area. tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ f8 a/ i) @, I" Q$ a
He said the authorities were 'trying to save the greatest number of lives.'
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Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said that Venezuela has enough fuel supplies to guarantee continued exports and domestic supply. As far as fuel shipments, he said, 'we won't have major effects.'5.39.217.76$ J" p Q0 R; {& V- {: n }4 N
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The blast occurred after 1 a.m. when a gas leak created a cloud that ignited, Ramirez said. Some nearby houses were damaged by the blast, he said on television.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb) g- _+ Q8 W6 r Z' H1 o
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'That gas generated a cloud that later exploded and has caused fires in at least two tanks of the refinery and surrounding areas,' Ramirez said. 'The blast wave was of a significant magnitude.'
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1 d$ R$ j% o) ?6 E$ A4 T* _; RUnder control: A column of smoke rises after an explosion at Amuay oil refinery in Punto Fijo, in the Peninsula of Paraguana on Saturday. Officials say the fire is now contained
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Wounded: Emergency personnel stand by to ferry the injured to nearby hospitals5.39.217.76. R8 ]7 u$ F8 ?. C3 @( Q( I
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Images in state media showed the flames casting an orange glow against the night sky. One photograph showed an injured man being wheeled away on a stretcher.
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'The areas that had to be evacuated were evacuated, Lugo said, according to the state-run Venezuelan News Agency. 'The situation is controlled. Of course they're still a fire rising very high, but ... the specialists tell me there is no risk of another explosion.'
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Ramirez said oil workers will determine what caused the gas leak and were inspecting the damage along with troops. Ramirez said that nine storage tanks were damaged.
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He said supplies of fuel had been cut off to part of the refinery, and that the fire had been brought under control.公仔箱論壇. i% H& Q- W2 C
' i, r2 y! H+ n. ltvb now,tvbnow,bttvbTroops were securing the area at the refinery, Lugo said.
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'At this time, the situation is controlled,' Jaua said on television, while smoke continued to rise from the refinery. Jaua said earlier on his Twitter account that the military was deployed to the area and that air ambulances were dispatched to ferry the wounded.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb% W/ U' _ t% g) h% I& \4 r; N
/ N% Z! Z! p8 T, ]6 b+ }公仔箱論壇Amuay is part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex, which also includes the adjacent Cardon refinery. Together, the two refineries process about 900,000 barrels of crude per day and 200,000 barrels of gasoline. Venezuela is a major supplier of oil to the U.S. and a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
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