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

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.