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| Explosion reports at oil refinery | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Emergency services are at the scene of a fire at an oil refinery in Essex amid reports of an explosion. | Emergency services are at the scene of a fire at an oil refinery in Essex amid reports of an explosion. |
| Crews were called to the Petroplus Coryton refinery, near Stanford le Hope, at about 1130 GMT. | |
| Essex Fire Service said the fire was on the ground floor of a tower and flames were 100ft (30.5m) up a column. | Essex Fire Service said the fire was on the ground floor of a tower and flames were 100ft (30.5m) up a column. |
| The service said foam was being used to tackle the blaze. A search was carried out for "persons reported missing" but all staff have now been accounted for. | |
| Our house shook, all the windows rattled and there were flames rising Marion Coleman | |
| Police said there were currently no reports of any casualties. | |
| Ten fire appliances and seven special units are at the refinery which lies 30 miles (48km) from London, along the Thames Estuary. | |
| Marion Coleman, who lives on Canvey Island, told BBC Essex: "There was a massive explosion. | Marion Coleman, who lives on Canvey Island, told BBC Essex: "There was a massive explosion. |
| "Our house shook, all the windows rattled and there were flames rising to the height of the chimneys at Coryton. | "Our house shook, all the windows rattled and there were flames rising to the height of the chimneys at Coryton. |
| "Black smoke was billowing up into the sky." | "Black smoke was billowing up into the sky." |
| Castle Point councillor Ray Howard, who lives nearby, added: "Some almighty explosion occurred - it shook my house. | Castle Point councillor Ray Howard, who lives nearby, added: "Some almighty explosion occurred - it shook my house. |
| "The next thing, all I saw was huge flames and smoke coming from the refinery." | "The next thing, all I saw was huge flames and smoke coming from the refinery." |
| The borough's Emergency Planning Officer has been called to the scene and Essex Police said Petroplus had instigated its own emergency plans for such an incident. | |
| Police said a non-toxic smoke plume was drifting towards Canvey Island. | |
| Homes and premises in the vicinity of the site are not going to be evacuated at this stage, police said. |