Lightning sparks massive fire at refinery in Venezuela (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
A huge pillar of black smoke enveloped the Venezuelan town of Puerto La Cruz on Sunday after a bolt of lightning set fire to one of the country’s largest oil refineries, prompting residents to evacuate the immediate area.
Firefighters battling the blaze in heavy rain managed to
extinguish the fire, according to vice-president of Venezuelan
state oil company PDVSA, Asdrubal Chavez.
He congratulated fire crews for their "sustained effort which
allowed us to control this important fire in record time."
"There has been no loss of life nor injuries," said
Information Minister Delcy Rodriguez, adding that the evacuation
of the area around the refinery was merely a precaution.
The country’s president, Nicolas Maduro, said earlier on Twitter
that he was in direct communication with the teams tackling the
fire.
Over 40 people were killed last year after a gas leak caused an
explosion at Venezuela’s largest refinery complex, halting
production.
The Puerto La Cruz refinery produces nearly 200,000 barrels of
oil a day. Production has not been affected by Sunday’s incident,
according to Chavez.
