One dead, several injured in Rotterdam refinery blast

At least one person was killed and several others were injured in an explosion at a refinery site in Rotterdam's port area on Thursday, police said.

Rotterdam police said the explosion happened around 11:30 am at the Gunvor Energy Rotterdam site in Europoort, part of one of the world's largest chemical and petrochemical industrial zones.

Authorities confirmed one death but were not able to give the number of injured people or describe their condition. Several ambulances and a medical helicopter were deployed shortly after the explosion, according to regional media.

A spokesperson for Gunvor Energy Rotterdam said a contractor had been carrying out maintenance work in a tank pit when an incident occurred. The company said it was cooperating with authorities.

Rotterdam police spokesman Dean Valkenburg said investigators were considering all scenarios. He said forensic investigators and the labour inspectorate were present, and that the investigation would determine what happened.