Explosion reported at refinery in Port Arthur, Texas; shelter-in-place issued

An explosion followed by a fire was reported at a Valero refinery in Port Arthur, Texas, with police advising some nearby residents to shelter in place. It was not immediately clear if anyone was injured.

Port Arthur police said Monday that residents on the west side of the city should shelter in place. Port Arthur is in southeastern Texas near the Louisiana border.

The explosion was reported at about 6:30 p.m. local time. Antonio Mitchell with the Port Arthur Fire Department confirmed to KBMT that there was an incident at the Valero facility, though details remained limited.

Videos shared on social media showed a large fire and a large plume of smoke rising from the refinery. One home surveillance video appeared to capture the moment of the explosion, with a loud boom shaking the area.

The cause of the explosion and fire was not immediately known. Officials had not released any information about possible victims.