ROXANA, Ill. — A man was hurt in an apparent explosion at the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery Sunday night.
Residents reported hearing an explosion Saturday afternoon. A spokeswoman for the refinery said "an incident" occurred at around 4:30. She said it resulted in a fire in a process unit. That fire has since been isolated and is under control.
A man was taken to the hospital with an injury, the spokeswoman said. He was able to walk to the ambulance for treatment.
“The scene is secure, the refinery is secure and the air quality in the region is fine,” says Melissa Erker, Phillips 66 spokeswoman.
Erker says the company will investigate whatever happened at the refinery, and that they will learn from their mistakes so this never happens again.
Videos on social media showed large flames shooting into the air on the refinery's property.
The facility is about 2,200 acres and employs more than 1,100 people. It processes crude oil to be used as fuel.