Explosion at Unipetrol chemical plant in Czech Republic

AN EXPLOSION at a Unipetrol refinery is reported to have killed six people and injured others.

The explosion occurred at the plant at around 10:00 local time (08:00 GMT) on the outskirts of Kralupy nad Vltavou, a town 30 km north of Prague. The exact cause of the explosion is still unknown, but in a brief statement, Unipetrol said that a fire broke out in a storage tank but that there is no further danger of explosions. Local news reports say that six people have been killed, and at least two of those injured have been taken to hospital.

Unipetrol is one of the largest oil distributing companies in the Czech Republic with an annual capacity of 3.2m t of oil, and manufactures products such as toughened polystyrene and synthetic rubber.

Kralupy nad Vltavou’s mayor, Petr Holecek, told Czech public television that he believed there was no danger to the town, and police spokesperson Marketa Jonova said that no dangerous substances have leaked out.