BP Amoco Plant Explosion Investigation Under Way
No Injuries Reported; Cause Remains Unknown
| Video |
"We saw the flames, which were pretty high … seems to be pretty serious," said Matt Lynth, a resident."The first thing that came to my mind was the terrorist threats," said Annita McGinnes, a resident. "I've lived in this area long enough to know that it could be that, but it's just as easy that it could be just a valve that blew."When the warning sirens sounded, some residents grabbed their families and left the area."It felt like an earthquake at first," said Celia Perez. "And I ran out and said, 'An explosion, an explosion. Oh my God.'"Perez and her family left their apartment, which is located across the street from the BP plant."We didn't have gas. We didn't have (any) money. We didn't grab (anything) -- just the kids," she said."There was a big explosion and then right after that, three more came. It was like broad daylight. That's how bad it was," said Jackie Escamilla, who worked across the street from the plant. "When I was working over here, all the windows started rattling."Some neighbors ignored the shelter-in-place to see the fire firsthand. They were quickly shaken by the sight."I opened my door and it was just a big old flame over here," said Sharita Greer, a resident. "So I ran for my kids and got out of here."Several streets around the plant were closed, so motorists were advised to avoid the area.The blasts prompted an early ending to high school baseball and softball action between the Texas City Stings and the La Marque Cougars. Texas City's junior varsity baseball team, which had been in La Marque for a game, sheltered in place at the student center at College of the Mainland.Some College of the Mainland evening classes were dismissed.News2Houston's chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley said a light northwest wind carried the smoke away from Texas City and toward the Gulf.The Texas City refinery is the largest of BP's four refineries in the Houston area. It has the capacity to refine 435,000 barrels of crude oil daily.Copyright 2005 by Click2Houston.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.







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