Deadly Venezuela refinery fire finally under control
A Venezuelan oil refinery disaster that killed dozens of people and damaged hundreds of homes has finally been declared over, according to the country’s Oil Minister. Rafael Ramirez said that four days after the massive explosion which sparked the fire, the site is now in a “cooling phase.”
The blast and fire at the state-run Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) Amuay refinery spread to three storage tanks before being brought under control. Firefighters working 12-hours shifts used fire-retardant foam to quell the blaze, although sources at PDVSA said that flames at the last storage tank affected flared up again after officials thought the fire extinguished.