In Texas, at least 14 workers have died in a massive explosion at an oil refinery operated by the oil company BP. Another 100 people were injured in the blast. The refinery is located in Texas City outside of Houston. The blast created thick columns of black smoke that stretched as high as 4,000 feet. The refinery has been plagued by previous safety problems. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has recently fined the refinery twice for safety violations. In September two employees were burned to death by superheated water. Last March the refinery was evacuated after an explosion. It is the third largest refinery in the country and provides about 3 percent of the country’s gas supply. According to the Houston Chronicle, Texas City was also the site of the worst industrial accident in U.S. history. In 1947, a fire aboard a ship at the city’s docks triggered a massive explosion that killed 576 people.