CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- A pipeline exploded at an oil tanker terminal in western Venezuela Tuesday, injuring one oil worker and two firefighters, an official said.
The Las Salinas loading terminal in Lake Maracaibo was evacuated while firefighters battled the blaze, said Herman Bracho, civil defense chief for Zulia state.
Bracho said a gasoil pipeline exploded, forcing a tanker to stop loading. The extent of the victims' injuries wasn't immediately known, he said. Gasoil is a type of fuel mainly used for power generation.
Las Salinas is one of two main export terminals in the Maracaibo area, about 500 kilometers (335 miles) west of Caracas, the capital.
Officials at the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, said they didn't know how long the terminal would be closed.
Before Tuesday's explosion, at least four oil workers had been killed in accidents at Petroleos de Venezuela facilities following a strike that nearly shut down production in December 2002 and January 2003.
Venezuela is the world's fifth largest oil exporter.
