CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — At least 26 people have been killed in a huge explosion at Venezuela's biggest oil refinery.
The blast sent balls of fire into the air over one of the largest refineries in the world.
The oil minister says the blast occurred early today when a gas leak created a cloud that ignited. He says an adjacent National Guard post was severely damaged by the blast, along with nearby homes.
Officials say the dead include a 10-year-old boy, but most of the victims were National Guard troops.
Venezuela's health minister says at least 86 people were injured, but most of them were treated at hospitals and released.
President Hugo Chavez has declared three days of mourning in the country and ordered an investigation to determine what caused the explosion.
Government officials are pledging to restart the refinery within two days. They say the country has plenty of fuel supplies on hand to meet its domestic needs as well as its export commitments.
%@AP Links
102-c-09-(Ian James, AP correspondent)-"in the area"-AP correspondent Ian James reports there was a large explosion at an oil refinery in Venezuela. (25 Aug 2012)
<<CUT *102 (08/25/12)>> 00:09 "in the area"
APPHOTO XFLL107: Firefighters and rescue teams work at the Amuay oil refinery after an explosion in Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery and unleashed a ferocious fire Saturday, killing over 20 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest disaster in memory for the country's key oil industry. (AP Photo/Diario EL Amanecer) (25 Aug 2012)
<<APPHOTO XFLL107 (08/25/12)>>
APPHOTO XFLL109: Fire rises over the Amuay oil refinery near Punto Fijo, Venezuela, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. A huge explosion rocked Venezuela's biggest oil refinery and unleashed a ferocious fire Saturday, killing over 20 people and injuring dozens in the deadliest disaster in memory for the country's key oil industry. (AP Photo/Diario EL Amanecer) (25 Aug 2012)
<<APPHOTO XFLL109 (08/25/12)>>
