Texas Chemical Plant Explosion: 3 Injured In Blast, Evacuation Underway In Jefferson County

At least 3 workers were reported hurt in a blast that took place at the chemical plant in Jefferson County, Texas, following which the evacuation efforts began. The fiery explosion occurred in the wee hours of Wednesday in Port Neches, blowing out windows and rattling houses.

The impact of the explosion was felt about 30 miles around the plant, as reported by a law enforcement officer present at the spot. The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. local time (3 a.m EST). The local reports suggested that the Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick had stated that all the employees were accounted for after the incident.

The County Sheriff’s office had reported that 3 workers from the plant who sustained injuries were taken to the local hospital for treatment. The extent of the injuries to the workers remained unknown. As many as 175 employees work at the plant with another 50 on a contractual basis.

Evacuation orders were placed for people living within a half-a-mile of the plant due to the fire. The police officers, along with running a search and rescue operation, also looked out for injured people in every house in the area. The local reports suggested that few of the houses had sustained significant damages due to the impact of the primary and successive blasts.

In the wake of the event, the Nederland Volunteer Fire Department, mentioned in a Facebook post, “Please be aware that there is mandatory evacuation for everyone within a ½ mile of the TPC plant in Port Neches. This could change and expand to a greater area, so please pay attention to your local news station as this situation develops since we may not be able to keep this page updated this morning.”

The fire crew was reported to be on the spot since the fire started and had already fought against it for about 2 hours. The cause of the fire was not determined.