A huge explosion at Venezuela's largest oil refinery has killed at least 24 people and injured more than 50 others.
Footage showed balls of fire rising over the Amuay refinery after the deadliest disaster for the country's key oil industry.
Among the dead was a 10-year-old boy, ****** state governor Stella Lugo told state television.
She said firefighters had got the flames under control at the refinery on the Paraguana Peninsula in western Venezuela.
Many of those killed were National Guard troops stationed at the facility, the vice president, Elias Jaua, said.
The blast occurred around 1am when a gas leak created a cloud which then ignited, oil minister Rafael Ramirez said.
Nearby houses were also damaged by the force of the explosion.
He said: "That gas generated a cloud that later exploded and has caused fires in at least two tanks of the refinery and surrounding areas.
"The blast wave was of a significant magnitude."
Nine storage tanks at the refinery have been damaged and supplies of fuel were cut off.
Amuay is part of the Paraguana Refinery Complex alongside the nearby Cardon refinery. Together they process around 900,000 barrels of crude a day and 200,000 barrels of petrol.
