At least one person has died and another is still missing following today's fire at a Staten Island, New York, distribution terminal.
A massive explosion ripped through an oil and gas facility off Staten Island in New York, triggering a major fire.
One eyewitness described hearing a huge explosion, andtelevision footage showed thick black smoke rising up to 1,000 feet into the air.
Several residents living up to three miles away told localtelevision that the explosion was violent enough to shake the windows in their houses. Phone services have also been affected.
Residents in several parts of New York are being advised to close their windows as the smoke disperses.
The explosion took place on a propane barge in the waterway known as Arthur Kill between Staten Island and New Jersey. Barges can hold up to 1 million gallons of oil.
New York Fire Department spokesman Mr Michael Loughran said it was not immediately clear what had caused the blaze.
"There were clear reports of an explosion. We have no injuries to report right now," Mr Loughran said.
Crude oil prices shot up more than a dollar after the explosion.The price of a barrel of light sweet crude for April delivery hit a high of $35.95 before settling back slightly to $35.58, still up 84 cents from yesterday's close.
Agencies
