In August, more than 20 people were killed after two heavily-armed groups clashed at Yare I prison outside Caracas.

CNN: Report: Prison riot kills dozens in Venezuela

The refinery disaster follows a gun battle inside Yare prison on August 19th that left at least 26 inmates dead, and the collapse four days earlier of a bridge linking Caracas with eastern Venezuela.

ECONOMIST: A fatal refinery blast will not help Hugo Ch��vez