Fire crews are tackling a blaze at a Shell chemical plant in the Netherlands following a series of explosions.

Television footage showed flames and smoke pouring from the plant in Moerdijk, south of Rotterdam.

Two people suffered minor burns, but the cause of the blasts - heard from more than 30km (20 miles) away - remains unknown.

The company says its priority is to make sure people nearby are safe and to minimise the environmental impact.

A spokesman for Shell told the BBC that the factory was in operation 24 hours a day but that all personnel who were on site at the time had been accounted for.

The mayor of Moerdijk, Jan Klijs, said there appeared to have been a leak of benzene, but it was not yet known whether it was methylbenzene or ethylbenzene.

"I understand that the tanks are now burning out," he said. "The fire, I can see that from city hall, is dying down somewhat and I'd advise people to stay inside and keep windows and doors closed."

The factory makes oil-based chemicals for use in products that range from car components to insulation materials.

The Shell complex is close to another chemical factory that was hit by a serious fire in 2011, Dutch media said.

That blaze sent a plume of toxic smoke across a wide area, causing a health alert.

Source: BBC