Lightning strike sparks Venezuela refinery blaze

A lightning bolt ignited fuel at an oil refinery east of Caracas on Sunday, sending giant columns of black smoke into the sky and forcing hundreds to evacuate. Despite the dramatic scene there were no victims and the blaze was controlled just hours after it broke out, President Nicolas Maduro said in a message on Twitter. The lightning struck the Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) refinery of Guaraguao in Puerto La Cruz, in Anzoategui state, located 220kms east of the capital Caracas. State governor Aristobulo Isturiz said that all residents in a one kilometre radius of the fire were evacuated as a precautionary measure.