Texas Chemical Plant Explosion Injures Four

^{PHOTO: AERIALS OF HEAVY SMOKE BILLOWING OVER EXXON 'S BAYTOWN, TEXAS PLANT SOUNDBITES BY REFINERY MANAGER AT THE EXXON MOBIL PLANT, ROHAN DAVIS.}

INTERNATIONAL: Four people were injured when a fire erupted on Thursday at Exxon's complex in Baytown, Texas, one of the largest refining and petrochemical facilities in the United States. Those injured were in a stable condition and all other personnel were accounted for.

Refinery Manager Rohan Davis has announced that the blaze had affected a gasoline unit.The Baytown plant houses a chemical plant, an olefins plant and the country's fourth-biggest oil refinery, which can process 560,500 barrels per day of crude.

The fire has occurred in a hydrotreater unit at the oil refinery that was shut on Wednesday due to a bypass line leak, sources familiar with plant operations has confirmed, adding that those injured were contractors who had been repairing the leak.

Three of the injured were flown to hospital by Lifeflight rescue helicopter and a fourth person was taken by ambulance, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said.

Initial reports had indicated there had been some type of explosion at the plant. A blast shook buildings in the area.

The Baytown olefins facility, which began operations in 1979, is one of the largest ethylene plants in the world, according to the company's website.Production was reduced across the Baytown refining and petrochemical complex in August 2019 because of a fire in a propylene recovery unit at the olefins plant.As many as 37 workers were injured in another fire at the olefins facility in July 2019.

Thailand Seizes Over $30 Million Worth of Drugs Bound for Australia

^{PHOTO: THAI CUSTOMS OFFICIALS CUTTING PUNCHING BAG TO SHOW BAGS OF AMPHETAMINE HIDDEN INSIDE HAUL OF SEIZED DRUGS AND PUNCHING BAGS THAT HAVE BEEN CUT OPEN DISPLAYED FOR MEDIA SOUNDBITES FROM THAI CUSTOMS OFFICIAL AND AUSTRALIA}

Bangkok Port Custom Office has intercepted more than 193 kilograms of amphetamine hidden in 15 punching bags bound for Australia where it would have a street value of almost $30 million.

Officials told a news conference the shipment was inspected by Thai customs after authorities grew suspicious since the Thai-made boxing training tool is not in high demand in Australia. They did not provide details of when the drugs, worth a total of $3.5 million, were seized.

Australian Border Force Acting Superintendent Joel Carruthers has stated that Australia consumes around 11 tons of methamphetamine per year and spends over 11 billion dollars on illicit narcotics.

Officials have reported the source of the shipment is a Thai boxing equipment company. Both Thai and Australian authorities are working together in the investigation.

Madagascar Overloaded Boat Accident, Kills 85

^{PHOTO: STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF BOAT TURNING OPERATION BY THE GENDARMERIE RESCUED HELICOPTER MECHANIC BROUGHT BACK TO SHORE RESCUE OPERATIONS LAUNCHING FROM SHORE HEAD OF MADAGASCAR NATIONAL GENDARMERIE, GENERAL SERGE GELLÉ, BEING}

The death toll from the sinking of a 12-foot long cargo ship off the coast of northeastern Madagascar rose to 85 on Wednesday as bad weather ended the search for five missing passengers, the maritime agency said. The dead include five children.

Maritime authorities say 50 people have been rescued after boat sank with 138 people on board.

The ship, which was not authorised to take passengers, was overloaded and water flooded the engine before it sank on Monday, reported by the director of operations at sea at the Maritime and River Port Agency.

Fifty survivors have been found, APMF has said. While the search for the five remaining missing passengers have resumed on Thursday.

One of the search helicopters carrying General Serge Gellé, who heads the national Gendarmerie, crashed at sea late on Monday. Gellé was found alive on Tuesday morning after 12 hours, during which time he used the pilot's seat as a float. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket.

Fishermen eventually found him early in the morning after he called for help.

Another passenger from the helicopter, a mechanic, was also found alive.

Two other passengers are unaccounted for.The Ministry of National Defence has praised in a statement the work of the soldiers of the field during the rescue operations.