TEXAS CHEMICAL PLANT BLAZE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL

The fire at the TPC Group petrochemical plant 80 miles east of Houston was brought under control at the weekend, enabling local officials to lift evacuation orders for around 50,000 people. The broke out last Wednesday following two major explosions at the facility, which blew out windows and doors and spread debris in the nearby city of Port Neches. Even with the fire under control, the area around the plant remained dangerous, as several isolated fires were still blazing at the facility. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, the county’s top official, also warned that construction of the plant began during the 1940s and debris strewn by the explosions may contain asbestos.