HUNDREDS OF FIREMEN DRAWN FROM AS FAR AWAY AS MARSEILLES AND GRENOBLE FOUGHT A 24-HOUR BATTLE AGAINST A RAGING FIRE FOLLOWING EXPLOSIONS EARLY YESTERDAY (4 JANUARY) AT THE 18-MONTHS-OLD FEYZIN OIL REFINERY, NEAR LYONS, FRANCE.

ABOUT A DOZEN PEOPLE, AT LEAST SEVEN OF THEM FIREMEN, ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED IN THE BLAZE WHICH ROCKED NEARBY VILLAGES AND SHATTERED WINDOWS IN SUBURBAN LYONS.

MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. TEN WERE SAID TODAY TO BE IN A CRITICAL CONDITION.

THE FIRST EXPLOSION, BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A GAS LEAK, DESTROYED A BUTANE STORAGE TANK. FOUR OTHER TANKS EXPLODED LATER. A COLUMN OF SMOKE COULD BE SEEN TEN MILES (16KMS) AWAY.

ABOUT 1,500 PEOPLE WERE EVACUATED FROM NEARBY HOUSES AS THE FIREMEN FOUGHT TO BRING THE BLAZE UNDER CONTROL.

THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED EARLY TODAY.

THE FIRE CLOSED ROADS IN THE AREA AND THE PARIS-MARSEILLES EXPRESS WAS DIVERTED.

THE REFINERY HAS AN ANNUAL CAPACITY OF TWO MILLION TONS AND EMPLOYES ABOUT 250 PEOPLE.