The explosions in Port Neches follow two fires near Houston at petrochemical facilities , including one that killed one person and critically injured two others. In Port Neches, the first blast happened just before 1 a.m., erupting into a ball of fire that lit up the night sky. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, a second explosion rocked the plant, shooting a flaming tower into the air like a rocket. The plant sits in a tangle of communities — including Port Neches, Groves and Nederland — where suburban neighborhoods and industry are wedged together. The blasts riled an area that had endured devastating floods in September, as well as Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

Source: New York Times November 28, 2019 22:42 UTC