All-clear after explosion at huge Louisiana refinery; 1 hurt

GARYVILLE, La. (AP) — A huge Louisiana refinery was rocked by an explosion and fire that injured one worker Monday.

Officials later gave the all-clear sign, but it was not immediately clear what caused the morning blast at the Marathon Petroleum Corp. plant in Garyville, between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, news outlets reported.

One contract worker was injured after the explosion and taken to a health care facility to be evaluated as a precaution, Marathon told news outlets. Louisiana State Police said authorities are investigating the cause.

According to Marathon’s website, the facility along the Mississippi River has a refining capacity of 578,000 barrels per calendar day, making it one of the largest in the country.

Gregory Langley, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, quoted the refinery as saying its offsite detectors didn't find any pollution during an initial check, The Times-Picayune / The New Orleans Advocate reported.

He said that during the fire, part of the refinery was placed under a shelter in place order.