Earthquake Triggers Fire at Mexico's Largest Refinery

Mexico’s largest oil refinery has been placed in safety mode after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake Tuesday caused a fire to erupt.

Bloomberg News, quoting a release from state-owned Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), reported that a refinery worker died after falling from a high structure. However, the PEMEX Facebook mentions no fatality, only an injured person who required medical assessment.

The Facebook report states that earthquake caused a fire situation involving the turbo generators and boiler at the 330,000 barrels-per-day Antonio Dovali Jaime refinery in Salina Cruz. PEMEX reports that the fire was quickly extinguished.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the epicenter of the quake hit near the beach resort of Huatulco in Oaxaca state on southern Mexico’s Pacific coast.

Nationwide, at least six people died in the disaster as structures crumbled and collapsed. Tremors were felt in Mexico City nearly 190 miles north of the epicenter.