Four people "may be injured" after an explosion occurred at an ExxonMobil plant in Baytown, Texas, Ed Gonzalez, the Harris County Sheriff has said, adding that no fatalities have been reported. He described the explosion as a major industrial accident and asked members of the public to avoid the area. "For now, no reports to evacuate or shelter-in-place", the sheriff wrote in a post on social media.
ExxonMobil tweeted that a fire occurred at the plant without elaborating on the issue. The company said that judging by the available information there has been no adverse impact from the fire.
People in the comments section said the accident was more than a fire, saying their houses were shaken.
Other netizens too reported their apartments being shaken by an explosion.
Videos and photos posted online appear to show the plant engulfed in flames.
ExxonMobil said fire teams are now working to extinguish the blaze, while hygiene staff carry out air monitoring to see if pollutants were released into the air as a result of the accident.
"Our first priority remains the safety of people, including our employees, contractors, and the surrounding community", the company said.
Local media write that the 3,400-acre Baytown complex houses an oil refinery, a chemical plant, and an olefins plant.
ExxonMobil has had a history of accidents at its plants in Texas and the company has come under harsh criticism from eco-activists as well as officials for safety and environmental violations. Several fires and explosions have occurred at ExxonMobil's facilities in Texas.
In 2017, a federal judge slapped the company with a $20 million fine after an investigation revealed that it released 10 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air from 2005 to 2013. A year later, the US Environmental Protection Agency and Texas fined the company a combined $3.8 million for not properly operating and monitoring flares at its facilities.