Paraguana/Caracas, Venezuela: Amuay refinery of Venezuela will not resume operations until it completely extinguishes a fire caused by an explosion on Saturday, an official said on Sunday.
At least 26 people were killed and more than 50 others injured on Saturday in the country’s biggest oil refinery explosion believed to be worst industrial accident in recent memory.
The blast, triggered by a gas leak damaged nearby homes and officials said a 10-year-old child was among the dead.
Most of those killed were National Guard troops who were providing security for the refinery, Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said, adding that the fire was under control.
“There was a National Guard barracks near the explosion … the installation was too close to the operations,” Ramirez told Reuters in a telephone interview, adding that operations could resume at Amuay within two days at most.
“We need to boost production at other refineries and look for floating storage near the complex.”
President Hugo Chavez has declared three days of mourning and said in call to state television: “I want to convey the deepest pain that I’ve felt in my heart and soul since I started to get information about this tragedy.”
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