Firefighters have battled a huge blaze at a major UK oil refinery.
Flames and clouds of thick black smoke could be seen at Stanlow Oil Refinery in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.
All staff at the site were accounted for after an evacuation, Cheshire Fire Service said. The fire has been brought under control.
The force, which was called at 2.16pm, believes the blaze started at a manufacturing building inside the plant.
Brian Howell, 60, said he was relaxing in the Eastham Ferry area, about eight miles away, before he "heard a loud 'whoosh' type explosion".
He added: "I looked over to Stanlow and there was an aggressive fire and lots of black smoke."
Despite the massive fire, there was no disruption to the refinery's operations.
The refinery employs more than 900 staff and an additional 500 on-site contractors.
It also has a team of 25 full-time staff to allow for immediate action to prevent potential catastrophes.
Stanlow supplies 16 per cent of all UK road transport fuels, according to operator Essar Oil UK.
It produces 4.4 billion litres of diesel and three billion litres of petrol annually.
It is one of the largest refineries in Europe, covering an area the equivalent of 300 football pitches.
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