Incident Report

Subject:         Explosion sparks massive fire at ExxonMobile oil refinery on New York's Staten Island

Date of Email reporting Incident:   Mon 24/02/2003 20:04

Report Detail:

NEW YORK - An explosion rocked an oil refinery on the edge of Staten Island, a New York City borough, sending black smoke and flames hundreds of feet (meters) into the air.
 
"We have a preliminary report that tanker was transferring a product or was being fuelled and somehow ignited," Fire Department Chief William Van Wart said.

It wasn't immediately clear whether any of the dozens of oil tanks in the area were burning.  FBI (news - web sites) spokesman Steve Kodak in Newark, New Jersey, said there was no indication of terrorism. However, FBI officials in Washington said they were still examining it because a refinery is the type of infrastructure terrorists might target.  The explosion, which could be heard several miles (kilometres) away, occurred at the edge of Port Mobile, near the Outerbridge Crossing that links the island to Woodbridge, New Jersey, in the southwestern part of Staten Island, said a spokeswoman for the Staten Island borough office.  It was reported shortly after 10 a.m. (1500 GMT), according to a spokeswoman for the New York Fire Department. No injuries were immediately reported.  City officials said residents were not in immediate danger.

"At this point, people should not take any special precautions. It's unlikely this could spread to a residential area," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said shortly after the fire was reported.

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