The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)

Ex­plo­sion at re­fin­ery in­jures 11

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At least 11 peo­ple have been injured and homes evac­u­ated af­ter a tank con­tain­ing crude oil or as­phalt ex­ploded at a large re­fin­ery in Wis­con­sin.

No deaths have been re­ported but at least 11 peo­ple were be­ing treated at hos­pi­tals in Su­pe­rior, where the blast hap­pened, and nearby Du­luth, Min­nesota.

The ex­plo­sion at the Husky Energy oil re­fin­ery hap­pened at about 10am yes­ter­day, Su­pe­rior Fire Chief Steve Panger said.

He said the fire was out by 11.20am, although smoke could still be seen ris­ing from the plant.

Su­pe­rior po­lice later tweeted that the fire had reignited and urged res­i­dents liv­ing within a one-mile ra­dius of the re­fin­ery to leave.

Po­lice blocked roads around the re­fin­ery in Su­pe­rior, which is home to about 27,000 peo­ple and bor­ders Min­nesota to the north and the tip of Lake Su­pe­rior.

Mr Panger said a small tank con­tain­ing ei­ther crude oil or as­phalt ex­ploded in the re­fin­ery.

A con­trac­tor who was in­side the build­ing told WDIO tele­vi­sion that the ex­plo­sion sounded like “a sonic boom” and that it hap­pened when crews were work­ing on shut­ting the plant down for re­pairs.

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