HOUSTON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- A large explosion jolted the U.S. city of Houston early Friday morning, with authorities saying at least one person has been hospitalized.
The blast at what is believed to be an industrial facility shattered windows of nearby buildings, and was felt kilometers away. Smoke and flames could be seen from the site in the northwest of the city.
Emergency responders sealed off the area, before transporting one person to the hospital, the Houston Fire Department said in a tweet.
Following the explosion, some schools in the state announced they would be closed Friday. Students and faculty of other schools in the region have been advised to stay indoors over air quality concerns.
The cause of the blast is yet to be determined, though the facility's owner said a tank of propylene is believed to have exploded, with the gas being a respiratory hazard that can cause eye and skin irritation.
Art Acevedo, chief of the Houston Police Department, said in a tweet that while there was currently no risk of health damage by inhalation, the public should still "avoid inhalation exposure out of an over abundance of caution."
