This archive report was first published on 27 November 2019.
Published on November 27, 2019, a devastating explosion at a chemical plant in the Port Neches-Groves area of Texas left residents in shock.
Multiple videos and images on social media captured the intensity of the fire, with flames reaching high into the sky.
At least two people were taken to hospitals, but the extent of their injuries was not immediately known, according to Crystal Holmes, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
Emergency management officials ordered an evacuation within half a mile of the chemical plant, and search and rescue crews were going door-to-door in surrounding homes, where some residents reported damage from the blast.
Ms. Holmes said, "It looks, just visually, about half of the refinery is on fire," and "We’re not quite sure if we have citizens trapped in their houses."
