One dead, Three Missing in Washington Refinery Blast

[UpInArms]

Source: CBS Marketwatch

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Tesoro Corp. (TSO 14.39, +0.49, +3.53%) said Friday one person died, and three are missing after a fire broke out at the company's refinery in Anacortes, Wa. The blaze started at 12:30 a.m. Pacific time, and also resulted in four employees being admitted into the local hospital for treatment. Tesoro said the fire occurred at its naphtha unit during routine maintenance and was extinguished by 2 a.m. "The units affected have been shut down and stabilized," said the San Antonio-based refining company. "Our priority at this time is focused on the safety of our employees and the community."

Read more: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/one-dead-three-missing-in-wa-refinery-blast-2010-04-02

[UpInArms]

1. Update: 3 dead, 4 hurt in blast, fire at Wash. refinery

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Three people are dead and four critically injured after an explosion and fire at an oil refinery in Washington state shook homes and shot flames into the night sky.


Tesoro Corp. says three people died in the fire at its refinery in Anacortes, Wash., about 70 miles north of Seattle.

The fire occurred about 12:30 a.m. Friday and was extinguished in about 90 minutes.

Anacortes residents told Seattle TV stations they heard an explosion and saw flames hundreds of feet into the air over the refinery.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) — An explosion and fire at an oil refinery shook homes and shot flames into the night sky early Friday, killing one person, leaving three workers missing and critically injuring four others.

The fire struck the Tesoro Corp. refinery in Anacortes, north of Seattle, at about 12:30 a.m., the company said in a statement. The blaze occurred at the naphtha unit while maintenance work was being performed and was extinguished in about 90 minutes, the company said.

...more...

[Omaha Steve]

2. 3 dead, 4 hurt in blast, fire at Wash. refinery

Source: AP

By GEORGE TIBBITS

ANACORTES, Wash. (AP) - An explosion and fire at a Washington state oil refinery shook homes and shot flames into the night sky early Friday, killing three people and critically injuring four others.

The fire struck the Tesoro Corp. refinery in Anacortes, about 70 miles north of Seattle on Puget Sound, at about 12:30 a.m., the company said. The blaze occurred while maintenance work was being performed and was extinguished in about 90 minutes.

Four employees are hospitalized with major burns over the majority of their bodies. Susan Gregg-Hanson, a spokeswoman for Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, said they are two women, 29 and 36, and two men 34 and 41.

All employees have been accounted for and investigators are trying to determine the exact cause of the blaze, said Tesoro spokesman Greg Wright in San Antonio. The extent of the damage is unknown, but parts of the refinery continue to operate, Wright said. The refinery has about 300 employees.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20100402/D9ER1L0G0.html