Big oil leak at Belgian plant causes damage

Some 35 million liters of petroleum leaked from a tank at the Totalfina petrochemical plant close to the port of Antwerp and near the Dutch border, forcing people in towns around the area to keep their windows shut.

The petroleum leaked into a safety reservoir, with only a tiny portion seeping outside of the facility, according to the company statement. The transfer of the oil back into the tanks of the plant could take until late Thursday. Environmental tests showed there was no immediate danger for the population at large.

The cause of the leak was still unclear, the AP reports.