A fire and explosion yesterday at an idled oil refinery in Canada's Newfoundland and Labrador province injured eight people before the blaze was contained, Canadian police said.

All eight people went to hospital, some with serious injuries, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson Corporal Jolene Garland. All other employees have been accounted for.

The cause and exact location of the explosion have not been released, but the company that operates the refinery and the RCMP both say the resulting fire was under control soon after the incident occurred.

The explosion happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday and multiple ambulances were seen coming and going from the refinery over the next two hours. All eight injured workers were first transported to Clarenville, about a 30-minute drive west of the refinery.

Around 8:30 p.m., two helicopters landed in a Sobeys parking lot near the hospital and three patients were loaded abord for the short flight to St. John's, about 180 kilometres southeast.

The patients had towels on their faces and were hooked up to an array of medical equipment upon arrival at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's.

MENAFN03092022000063011010ID1104804732