Explosion at at Exxon Mobil plant in Texas leaves four injured as ‘major industrial accident’ declared

Fire confirmed and four people in ‘stable condition’, authorities say

View from the road of a fire at petrochemical company ExxonMobil's refinery near Houston in Baytown, Texas (MOLLY FITZPATRICK via REUTERS)

A ‘major industrial accident’ was declared in Baystown, Texas, overnight amid an explosion at a chemical refinery operated by Exxon Mobil.

Authorities in Harris County, Texas, said there were four confirmed injuries, three of which were life threatening injuries, on Thursday morning.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said there were no fatalities, although one person was taken to the Memorial Herman Downtown hospital in an ambulance.

It had announced at around 2am on Thursday that its deputies had been dispatched to the refinery at 3525 Decker Drive amid reports of an explosion.

Images and video shared to social media meanwhile showed flames emitting from the chemical refinery. While others reported a blast when the fire began.

Exxon Mobil meanwhile confirmed there had been a fire at the facility, which began operations in 197 and is one of the largest ethylene plants in the world, the company’s website says.

HCSO said a “major industrial accident” had been declared and asked local residents to “pease avoid the area”, although no shelter-in-place order was issued.

At 4.44am, the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office (HCFMO) said its investigators were on scene and that it was unclear how the fire started.

“Four people were injured at the ExxonMobil Baytown Plant fire,” the force said. “We are grateful all are in stable condition.”

Exxon Mobile tweeted: “Around 1 a.m. on 12/23/2021, a fire occurred at our facility. At this time, emergency vehicles and smoke may be noticeable to the community.”

“We are coordinating with local officials, and working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.”

More information is expected later on Thursday.

Additional reporting by Reuters.