Image copyright EPA Image caption Emergency workers at the scene of the Unipetrol chemical plant blast in Kralupy nad Vltavou

Six people have been killed in an explosion at chemical plant in the Czech Republic. The explosion took place in the morning in the town of Kralupy nad Vltavou, 20 km to the north of Prague, at facility belonging to Ceské Rafinerska, a subsidiary of Unipetrol which has formed part of the Polish group PKN Orlen since 2005, officials said. The company described the explosion as “an extraordinary event at the refinery.”

The cause of the explosion, which took place during cleaning operations, had not yet been established, authorities said. “This morning there was an explosion without a subsequent fire in one of the tanks in the Kralupské refinery,” Unipetrol said in a statement. A fire department spokesperson told Czech Television it was a blast at a storage tank and there was no risk of additional explosions. Unipetrol, a Czech oil processor and plastics producer, said the blast took place inside one of the storage tanks for fuels and additives in its refinery. The plant manufactures toughened polystyrene as well as synthetic rubber for shoes and sports equipment.
Six people are killed after an explosion at a Unipetrol plant in Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic.