No sign of dangerous toxicity at Texas blast site

The US Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday it has no indication that dangerous amounts of toxic materials have been released in a fire at a flooded chemical plant in Texas.

"EPA has emergency response personnel on the scene and the agency is currently reviewing data received from an aircraft that surveyed the scene early this morning," it said in a statement.

"This information indicates that there are no concentrations of concern for toxic materials reported at this time."

A series of overnight explosions sent a plume of toxic smoke spewing from the Arkema chemical plant in Crosby, a town of around 3,000 people some 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston.