24 Killed in Venezuela Oil Refinery Explosion, Massive Blast at Venezuela's Amuay Refinery

	24 Killed in Venezuela Oil Refinery Explosion, Massive Blast at Venezuela's Amuay Refinery CARACAS — A massive explosion tore through Venezuela's largest refinery on Saturday, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 50 in South America's largest oil producer, officials said. Vice President Elias Jaua said most of the dead were members of the country's National Guard who were protecting the refining facility in the town of Amuay, located on the Paraguana Peninsula in the northwest. Another 56 people were wounded, he said, updating an earlier toll. Of those, four remained in hospital in critical condition, while two were transferred to a neighboring state and the remainder discharged. Falcon State Governor Stella Lugo had earlier told state television that one of those killed was a 10-year-old child. Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez said the blast was sparked by a gas leak, the cause of which remained to be determined. "The gas cloud exploded, igniting at least two storage tanks and other facilities at the refinery," he said. Ramirez said the explosion was powerful and caused "significant damage" not only to the plant, but also to nearby shops and homes. "There is significant damage to the infrastructure and houses that stood in front of the refinery," the minister told state-controlled VTV television. Later in the morning, firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, officials said. Smoke was still billowing from the facility, but Lugo said there was no risk of another blast. Jaua took to Twitter shortly after the explosion, writing that the <b>...</b>	From: ColIegeFun Views: 211 0 ratings
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