Smoke is rising above an oil refinery in the United States, and locals are being told to shelter in place after an explosion rocked the facility.

The incident happened at a refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, owned by the fuel company Valero. It employs about 770 workers, according to its website, and produces 435,000 barrels per day, processing it into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.

The city, with a population of about 56,000, is located in the southeast corner of the state. Its police and fire departments have told residents on the west side of the city to take shelter, and the Texas Department of Transportation has told drivers to avoid the area, but there are no evacuation orders at this time.

“To ensure the safety of all residents in the vicinity in light of the recent explosion at the Valero Refinery, an immediate shelter-in-place is ordered,” said the fire department.

“For your safety, please remain in place until the all clear is given by emergency personnel.”

Police have told local media they believe an industrial heater caused the blaze, and there are no reports of injuries.  (News Com)

Videos show flames and a plume of thick smoke following an explosion at a Valero oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas.

Police have told local media they believe an industrial heater caused the blaze and there are no reports of injuries. pic.twitter.com/YIddsxmceo

— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) March 24, 2026

The post Huge explosion reported at US refinery appeared first on Newswire.

A twin-engine propeller plane crashed onto a Texas highway and split in two Wednesday afternoon, damaging cars and sending four people to hospitals, authorities said.

The Piper PA-31 with just the pilot aboard crashed about 3 p.m. near a highway overpass in Victoria, some 150 miles (240 kilometers) southwest of Houston, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A police video statement on Facebook said three vehicles were damaged and images showed the aircraft split at the fuselage with part of the wreckage resting atop a car.

Victoria Police Deputy Chief Eline Moya said three people had non-life threatening injuries, one was transported to an out-of-town hospital for higher level treatment, and the pilot was being evaluated.

“This is not something we see every day, but we are glad that people seem to be OK and they’re getting checked out,” Moya said.

The pilot’s name was not immediately released. The FAA said it would investigate the crash.

Tony Poynor said he was approaching an intersection when he started hearing the sound of a small plane engine very close to him.

“To the left of me you start seeing on the wall a shadow of this plane,” he said. “Then it passed over the top of my truck. And it’s still horizontal at this point, then about a quarter of a mile in front of me it starts to wobble.”

Poynor said that after the crash, he approached the plane and the pilot was conscious but Poynor was unable to get him out. (AP)

The post Propeller plane crashes onto a US highway (video) appeared first on Newswire.