BIG SPRING, Texas, Feb. 18, 2008
Refinery Explosion Rocks Texas Town
At Least Four People Injured, Shook Buildings Miles Away
-
Flames can be seen coming from the Big Spring Refinery. (KOSA)
Big Spring Mayor Russ McEwen told a news conference that one of those workers was sent to a burn unit.
The fire sparked by the blast was under control Monday morning, Lewis said. The Dallas-based company does not know what caused the explosion.
The blast sent black smoke billowing into the sky, closed schools, shut down an interstate and left residents rattled.
"It was extremely scary. You shook you were so scared," said Laura McEwen, the wife of Mayor McEwen who lives about two miles from the refinery. "Our walls shook. It jolted your bed. It was like an earthquake."
According to the CBS News affiliate KOSA's Web site anyone living within a mile of the plant was asked to evacuate.
John Moseley, managing editor of the Big Spring Herald whose downtown office is also about two miles from the refinery, said, "I thought it would knock the walls down."
Two elementary schools were evacuated, then classes were canceled at all nine campuses in the Big Spring school district, said assistant superintendent Carie Dunnam.
Dunnam said bus routes were affected by road closures and that emergency officials were warning of the potential for more explosions. School officials were asking parents to come pick up their children as soon as possible, Dunnam said.
The explosion forced open the doors of the school district's administration building about four miles from the plant, Dunnam said.
"Literally pieces of my ceiling came on top of my head," she said.
The refinery employs about 170 people and produces about 70,000 barrels a day.
Interstate 20 was shut down near the plant, Big Spring police spokesman Roger Sweatt said.
"There's some fire and a whole bunch of smoke," Sweatt said.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
More From U.S.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
Posted by mediaeditor at 12:04 PM : Feb 19, 2008
It wasn''t poor journalism. It was intentional. Politics.
I HOPE YOU DID NOT PAY THE $3.29 PRICE HE WANTED. WHEN SOMETHING IS POSTED AT A CERTAIN PRICE, IT IS ILLEGAL TO TRY AND CHARGE MORE.
Last week was the Venezuelan threat/cutoff - this week, the refinery blast - wonder what "disaster" will happen next week, so they can raise prices on us yet again.....
I don''t know about any of you, but something smells fishy to me, and it AIN''T the smoke from this fire.
then i saw the pictures, and well its really trajic in any case, Big Spring Texas, nothing there but oilwells and pumpjacks,
Posted by TruthBeTold,
I take it that you believe everything you see on the internet? However, I believe we will see some $ 5.00/gallon gas since everyone is betting on the features due to a bear market.
To the Obama scandal poster, below: Don''t be so sure that you are not playing part to a Clinton maneuver. Remember that all their old business partners and friends are dead, along with Mr. Clinton''s body guard troop - dead. Sinclair just has to hold out for a few weeks, giving Hitlery the advantage. Very suspicious!