An explosion rocked an oil refinery in Superior, Wis., April 26, sending 11 people to two local hospitals and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents as a plume of noxious smoke blew into the air, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The initial explosion at Husky Energy occurred around 10:00 a.m. However, a fire reignited at the site around 12:00 p.m. and a series of seven or eight more explosions were heard.
The explosions injured at least 20 people, 11 of which were taken to local hospitals. Five were taken to Essentia Health-St. Mary's Hospital in Superior, five were taken to Essentia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, Minn., and one was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Duluth.
One of the five patients taken to St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth, which is a level 2 trauma center, was suffering from severe blast injuries. The other nine patients at Essentia Health facilities are being treated for non-life threatening injuries. The St. Luke's hospital patient is in fair condition, according to CBS News.
The fire was extinguished around 7 p.m. April 26 and the evacuation order was rescinded around 6 a.m. April 27.