Oil firm Chevron said today that four people were killed and one person was seriously injured in an explosion at its refinery in southwest Wales.
The blast occurred at the 220,000 barrel per day Pembroke refinery yesterday evening. Chevron did not provide any details on the operational status of the refinery.
Police said a fire broke out after an explosion in a storage tank during maintenance. An adjacent storage tank was also damaged.
Chevron confirmed that the four people who died were contractors and said another worker was receiving treatment in hospital for serious injuries.
"We will take every step possible to determine the series of events that led to this tragic incident," Chevron said.
Greg Hanggi, refinery general manager, said: “This news is utterly devastating. The loss of our co-workers has come as a huge shock to us all."
Chevron put the refinery up for sale last year to lower its exposure to the refining business.
US refiner Valero Energy Corp agreed in March to buy the refinery and other assets in a £446 million deal expected to close in the third quarter.
Reuters