Explosion sparks massive fire at oil refinery in Louisiana’s ‘cancer alley’

Blast erupted just after 9am on Monday at the Marathon Petroleum facility in Garyville

(Mallory Weber Reed via WBRZ)

An explosion has sparked a massive fire at an oil refinery in Louisiana.

The blast erupted just after 9am on Monday at the Marathon Petroleum facility in Garyville, authorities said.

No injuries or deaths have been reported and the cause is still under investigation.

“Marathon Petroleum is responding to a fire at its Garyville, Louisiana, refinery that began at approximately 9:30 a.m. Central Time,” the company said in a statement.

“The refinery is currently assessing the impact within the plant and at this time there are no indications of injuries. Air monitoring has been deployed in the community, and local emergency responders have been notified.”

Witnesses reported hearing a boom from miles away as the explosion shook nearby businesses, WBRZ reported.

Images posted on social media showed fire and smoke spilling from the facility while police closed down the adjacent stretch of West Airline Highway until an “all-clear” was given at around 10.45am.

The explosion took place in an area known as “Cancer Alley”, a 130-mile stretch along the Mississippi River where residents - who are predominantly Black and low-income - face disproportionate cancer risks due to high levels of toxic pollution.