An explosion at Caribbean Petroleum Corporation's Bayamon oil storage and refinery facility in Puerto Rico destroyed 18 of the facility's 40 storage tanks and shattered the windows of nearby buildings and vehicles
The cause of the explosion, which occurred on Friday near Puerto Rico's capital of San Juan, has not been determined, according to a Guy Carpenter risk bulletin.
President Barack Obama has designated Puerto Rico an emergency zone and ordered federal aid to supplement local efforts, Guy Carpenter said. Around 1,500 people were evacuated from the nearby Sabana Amelia neighborhood due to smoke contamination concerns as the fire burned for more than two days.
No estimate of monetary damages or insured losses have been given as of yet.
Guy Carpenter said the tanks at Caribbean Petroleum hold about 10 percent of the gasoline consumed in Puerto Rico, citing Consumer Affairs Secretary Luis Rivera Marin. There is no risk of gasoline shortages, authorities said.
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