A spokesman for Engen, which operates the refinery, said he would comment later in a statement, DW reported.
According to Engen's website, the Durban plant has a crude refining capacity of 120,000 barrels per day (bpd). It was not immediately clear if there was any impact on the refinery's production.
Residents say the explosion happened early in the morning as children were preparing for school, local media reports. Eyewitnesses who shared the incident on Twitter said the explosion started shortly after 7 am local time.
The country's third-biggest crude oil refinery, a 100,000 bpd facility operated by Astron Energy in Cape Town, was also rocked by an explosion earlier this year.
It is not clear what caused the explosion, or if anyone has been injured.
Engen Petroleum is a South African oil company that is focused on refined petroleum products and was part of Mobil until 1990. The company is present in 17 countries and exports its products to over 30, mostly in Africa and islands in the Indian Ocean.
ZZ/PR
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