HOUSTON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Emergency response crews on Thursday remained on site working to manage the fire caused by explosions at a chemical plant owned by TPC Group in Port Neches, about 150 km east of downtown Houston, U.S. state of Texas.
The company continued to work closely with the county and emergency response personnel to get this situation under control as safely and as quickly as possible and to prevent further impacts, according to a news release issued by the company Thursday morning.
At least 20 air monitoring stations have been established, according to the news release, but no "actionable levels" of air pollution have been reported based on state and federal guidelines.
Three people were injured early Wednesday morning in the first blast, leading to a nearby neighborhood being evacuated.
TPC Group said there were 30 individuals on site when the first blast occurred and all three of the injured individuals were later allowed home after being treated.
The second evacuation order was issued Wednesday afternoon after another explosion occurred. Smoke plumes resulting from the explosion could be seen from as far away as 80 km by late afternoon.
The blast caused a tower to fall, but there were no reports of major injuries outside the plant.
According to TPC Group, the incident occurred in its south processing unit and involved a tank filled with finished butadiene, a chemical used in the production of synthetic rubber for tires. The cause has not yet been determined.
