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Lightning strike that started Pemex refinery fire kills one and leaves one missing

Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas — A lightning strike that generated a fire inside a Pemex refinery also left one person dead and another missing. The early morning storm that passed over the Tamaulipas area at dawn hit the Francisco I. Madero refinery belonging to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex).

On Friday afternoon, Pemex issued a brief statement that said the fire started around 4:45 a.m. Friday after lightning struck an empty pressure truck near the SA-1 and SA-2 oil separators. Subsequently, the fire spread to these containers, which caused the fire in the pit.

It was at 5:45 a.m. that the fire was deemed controlled. At 6:30 a.m., they found the body of a maintenance worker from a contracting company, Amarelo Power. The company also reported one worker from the GMG company was missing.