A blast at a Total petrochemicals plant in eastern France killed two people, injured five and left others buried under rubble on Wednesday, officials said.
A score of fire engines and 50 firefighters were sent to the plant in Carling near the German border after the blast in a steam-cracking furnace which damaged equipment but did not cause a fire, they said.
The cause of the explosion that happened around 1310 GMT was not immediately known, officials said.
Industry Minister Christian Estrosi and junior Environment Minister Chantal Jouanno were due to visit the scene of the explosion later Wednesday, their offices said.
In 2001, 31 people died and 30,000 homes were devastated in an explosion at a warehouse at the AZF chemical fertiliser plant owned by a Total subsidiary near the southwestern French city of Toulouse.
The oil giant's Carling plant produces a range of petrochemicals including ethylene, propylene, methane and styrene, and plastic consumer products such polyethylene and polystyrene, according to Total.
The products are produced by the process of steam cracking, whereby petroleum and either gas oil or naphtha are mixed in a cracking oven with superheated steam at 800 degrees Celsius (1,470 Fahrenheit), the company said.
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