An explosion at the Amuay refinery in Punto Fijo killed at least 24 people on Saturday.
An explosion at the Amuay refinery in Punto Fijo killed at least 24 people on Saturday.

Refinery blast kills 24, injures more than 50



CARACAS // A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery yesterday, killing at least 24 people, including a 10-year-old boy. It is the deadliest disaster to strike the country's oil industry.

At least 53 people were injured by the blast at the Amuay refinery on the Paraguana Peninsula in the west of the country, said Stella Lugo, the Falcon state governor. Firefighters had controlled the flames, she added. although large clouds of smoke were still rising.

Many of the dead were National Guard troops stationed at the refinery, said Elias Jaua, the vice president, who visited the site. Authorities were "trying to save the greatest number of lives", he added.

Production was shut down at the refinery, which pumps out 640,000 barrels of crude a day, but was expected to restart in two days, said the oil minister, Rafael Ramirez.

The country had plenty of reserves for domestic demand, he said, adding that as far as fuel shipments were concerned, "we won't have major effects".

The explosion happened after 1am when a gas leak created a cloud that ignited, said Mr Ramirez. Some nearby houses were damaged by the blast.

"That gas generated a cloud that later exploded and has caused fires in at least two tanks of the refinery and surrounding areas," he said. "The blast wave was of a significant magnitude."

Images in state media showed an injured man being taken away on a stretcher.

"The areas that had to be evacuated were evacuated," said Ms Lugo. "The situation is controlled. Of course there is still a fire rising very high, but ... the specialists tell me there is no risk of another explosion."

Oil workers were inspecting the damage along with troops to determine what caused the leak. Troops were also securing the area at the refinery.

Mr Ramirez said that nine storage tanks had been damaged.

Amuay is part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex, which includes the adjacent Cardon refinery. Together, they process about 900,000 barrels of crude a day and 200,000 barrels of petrol. Venezuela is a major supplier of oil to the US and a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

In recent years, Amuay, along with other major refineries in the country, have experienced chronic operational delays due to accidents and mishaps.

Critics say this poses a challenge to President Hugo Chavez's ambitious plans to sharply increase oil output.

* With additional reporting by Dow Jones

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%20%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Steffi%20Niederzoll%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Reyhaneh%20Jabbari%2C%20Shole%20Pakravan%2C%20Zar%20Amir%20Ebrahimi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Why seagrass matters
  • Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
  • Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
  • Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
  • Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality