FREEPORT, Texas — A huge fire at a chemical plant near Houston started Friday when a railroad car carrying ammonia began leaking and exploded, rattling windows miles away, authorities said Friday.
Reuters reports that the plant is owned by chemicals firm BASF and is located in Freeport, Texas, about 60 miles (96 km) southwest of Houston. The fire did not affect oil products supply or prices, trading sources said.
Four people who worked at the plant suffered minor injuries, mostly cuts and bruises, BASF spokeswoman Sharon Rodgers told reporters outside the plant. There were no fatalities, she said.
The chemicals involved in the explosion were ammonia and cyclohexanone oxime, a compound used in the manufacture of nylon, Rodgers said.
Emergency workers were still trying to contain the fire. A fire pumper truck that had responded to the scene could be seen on fire in front of the blast area.
Employees were working near the railcar when a chemical release was reported from the railcar shortly after 9 a.m. CDT (1400 GMT), and workers evacuated shortly afterward. The explosion was reported about 10 minutes later, BASF said in a statement.
Authorities were concerned about the chemical cloud that remained after the explosion.
“The only thing that we are concerned about is the ammonia cloud, which is moving slowly to the south-southwest,” Brazoria County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Mindy Valusek told Reuters.
Citizens in Freeport and nearby Jones Creek were asked to stay indoors with their air conditioning shut off until the cloud dissipates, she said. Temperatures in southeast Texas were expected to push into the mid 90s, and the wind was nearly nonexistent in the area, she said.
Smoke could be seen pouring from the charred ruins of the section of the plant that exploded. Several roads around the plant were shut down temporarily, Valusek said.
An emergency crew from the nearby Dow Chemical plant responded to the scene, Valusek said. Sixteen plants are on the site.