The explosion at the Ahmadi refinery was caused by a gas leak during a routine maintenance work, the KNPC said in a statement, but it did not disclose the exact time of the blast.

Eyewitness said fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene after the accident took place at around 5 p.m. local time (2000 GMT).

The KNPC said the two injured were treated at a hospital and the accident would not affect operations of the KNPC, which is the refining arm of state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation.

The Ahmadi refinery, located in the southern coast of the Gulf Arab emirate, has a refining capacity of around 460,000 barrels per day.