July 15 (Reuters) – A fire broke out at the Dow (DOW.N) Plaquemine chemical plant in Louisiana, the US chemical manufacturer said in a statement late Friday.
Everyone in the facility was accounted for and the fire was being managed by the company’s Emergency Operations Center, Dow Louisiana said in a statement posted on Facebook, adding that they were in contact with officials.
Explosions at the Iberville Parish facility are shaking homes in the nearby capital city of Baton Rouge, WAFB TV reported. Factory officials said they were still trying to determine the cause of the incident, which began around 9:15 p.m. (0215 GMT), the CBS affiliate said.
Dow did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The Iberville Parish Council’s Office of Emergency Preparedness issued a “shelter” for residents within a half-mile radius, officials said in a Facebook post, adding that Dow’s aerial surveillance was not picking up readings.
Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Edited by William Mallard
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