PLAQUEMINE – Flaring and steam was seen Sunday from a unit at Dow that was the site of a mishap earlier in the day.

People in West Baton Rouge, Iberville and across the river in EBR heard and felt what the plant called a “rupture” around 8 a.m. Sunday. For those who heard and felt it – it was more like an “explosion,” according to authorities who responded to the Dow facility Sunday morning.

By lunchtime, Dow said the unit in question was “stable” and that facility operators were able to walk through the unit. Dow will conduct air monitoring and steam will be visible to keep the “steam headers warm” during the shutdown following the incident.

“The rest of the site continues to run safely with normal flaring,” Dow posted on its regional Facebook page.

There were no injuries and no off-site impacts, according to authorities and the company.

Dow said a vessel ruptured Sunday, causing the noise that rocked people in parishes surrounding the plant along the Mississippi River outside Baton Rouge.

Dow did not release specific details of the incident.

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