Pemex refinery fire injures 8 workers

Mexico's Pemex says eight workers were injured in a fire at its Salina Cruz refinery in Oaxaca state on Tuesday before the flames were put out.

None of the injuries are life threatening; two of the workers are Pemex employees, while the remainder are external contractors, the state-owned oil firm said in a press release.

The fire broke out in alkylation tower DA-304 of the Antonio Dovalí Jaime refinery (pictured) and was extinguished by Pemex firefighters.

The workers were transferred to the Salina Cruz general hospital for treatment, while workers in the facilities adjacent to the fire were evacuated. The refinery's other processing areas are working normally, Pemex said, with the production and supply of petrochemical products guaranteed.

In its 2014 sustainability report released earlier this month, Pemex claimed to have slashed accidents by 33% in 2014 to 0.38 per million man-hours, saying the rate is below the international average for the industry.