Phillips 66 fuel storage facility explosion injures three people
20 January 2023
An explosion and fire at a fuel storage facility in northern Texas, US injured three people on January 17. The incident happened at the Phillips 66 Johnson Tank Farm which is linked to the oil company’s Borger Refinery.
Representative image: Shutterstock
The incident occurred at around 10:15 local time, the Borger Fire Department said in a statement. Emergency responders along with the Borger Fire Department were immediately notified and arrived at the scene to suppress the fire. Local officials said that the incident was contained to the Phillips 66 facility itself, although a nearby highway was closed while firefighters extinguished the blaze.
All personnel at the site were accounted for shortly after first responders arrived, however three people were taken to hospital for medical attention.
Images and video posted on social media show a large blaze rising from a storage tank at the site and a significant plume of black smoke rising into the sky.
The cause of the initial explosion is unknown, although officials said an investigation would be opened immediately.