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9/13/02) — At least one explosion has rocked a chemical plant in Freeport. It happened mid-morning Friday at the BASF Corporation on Copper Road near Hwy 332.
According to Mindy Valusek with Brazoria County, the chemical involved in the explosion was ammonia. The ammonia cloud was moving south-southwest and people in the path of the cloud should shelter-in-place and turn off their air conditioning.

Roads in the area that have been closed include State Highway 332, Business 288 in Clute is closed at Johnson Road, and Highway 332 at Main Street in Clute. Brazosport ISD is keeping students inside.

An eyewitness described the situation as rattling his entire house about 4-5 miles away, and briefly cutting his power.

Clute resident Tim Williams said, "I heard one large explosion, but it appeared to have a number of waves that came through."

Another witness who was reportedly 300 feet away from the fire said there was a leaking ammonia tank. Most of the plant had been evacuated and emergency crews had been called in, according to the witness. He described the explosion as a devastating fireball that caused considerable damage.

The Clute Fire Department and BASF have advised anyone in the area to turn off their air conditioning and shelter in place. It's recommended that residents not go outside unless it's absolutely necessary.

Apparently, there have been minor injuries at the scene.

Details are still coming into the newsroom. Stay with ABC13 Eyewitness News for the latest on this developing story.

Sept. 13, 2002, 10:40AM

Explosion reported in Freeport
By S.K. BARDWELL
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

A railcar containing ammonia exploded at the BASF chemical plant along Highway 332 in Freeport this morning, rattling buildings and homes for up to 35 miles away, local police reported.

The BASF production plant has been evacuated, according to workers. A Brazoria County dispatcher told Channel 13 News that minor injuries had been reported.

Highway 332 and parts of other roads nearby are reportedly closed to traffic.

Officials have ordered otherplants in the area locked down because of air quality concerns. Reports also indicate that residents along Slaughter Road are being told to stay inside their homes because of the air quality.

Emergency officials are checking wind direction to see which, if any, residential areas could be affected by the blast. For now, residents are being asked to "shelter in place," which means stay indoors.

Charlotte Zwahr said she lives 20 miles from the BASF plant, located at 602 Copper Road in Freeport, and heard and felt the explosion. Minutes later, Zwahr said, her husband, a driver for Service Transport who was inside the plant at the time of the explosion, called to say the plant was being evacuated.

Zwahr said a cloud of white smoke was seen over the plant first, then the explosion occurred, and then clouds of black smoke appeared.

Clute police officers said they were deluged with reports of the explosion from area residents who believed it came from the BASF plant, but had not yet been able to reach anyone at the plant.