BP refinery at Texas City catches fire

HOUSTON - A fire broke out Tuesday afternoon at the BP refinery in Texas City, local media reported.

A TV footage showed an image of the smoke plume.

A fire was burning at the facility, but there was no impact to the outside community, local TV channel abc13 quoted Texas City Office of Emergency Management as saying.

No injuries had been reported and employees had been evacuated from the affected unit, the report said.

Officials were monitoring the air near the plant, according to the report.

The Texas City refinery is the site of an explosion in March 2005 that killed 15 people and injured scores of others.

BP announced earlier this month it has reached a deal to sell its Texas City refinery to Marathon Petroleum Corporation for $2.5 billion.