Multiple injuries, evacuations in Wisconsin oil refinery explosions

WASHINGTON, April 26 (KUNA) -- Explosions at an oil refinery in northwestern Wisconsin left several injured and prompted widespread evacuations on Thursday.
A series of explosions at the Husky Energy oil refinery in Superior, Wisconsin cast black plumes of smoke in the air and triggered mandatory evacuations within a ten-mile radius south of the refinery, displacing many residents of the town located 200 miles south of the US-Canada borders. "There are injuries, which are being treated at hospital and on site," Husky Energy said in a statement. Local authorities reported five people were transported from the scene to nearby hospitals and the extent of their injuries remain unclear. No fatalities have been reported. Eyewitnesses reported hearing an initial explosion while crews were working on shutting the plant down for repairs. This was followed by a series of explosions that lead to a fire that appeared to be burning out of control. The Calgary-based company's Wisconsin refinery processes 38,000 barrels a day of heavy crude from Canadian tar sands in Alberta into asphalt, gasoline, diesel and heavy fuel oils. (end) hy.gb