An explosion caused a large fire that was seen burning at a crude oil storage facility in Mexico on Thursday afternoon.

Footage shows a towering plume of smoke rising from a Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) fuel storage hub in the Ixhuatlan municipality in Veracruz on February 23.

Local media reported that two fires had hit Pemex facilities – one at the Tuzandepetl storage centre, and another at the Minatitlan refinery.

In a statement, the Veracruz civil protection service said the Tuzandepetl was still ‘active’.

The agency said: ‘As a precaution, the evacuation of the facilities of the University of Ixhuatlán del Sureste was carried out. The population in the area is asked to heed the indications of the authorities.’