The cause of the blast in one of the oil tanks is not yet known, according to the local prefecture and the company that runs the plant, but a police investigation has been launched.
A team of 40 firefighters, police and rescuers were at the site of the Saipol factory, where the explosion unleashed huge flames and a large column of smoke.
Two bodies were found at the scene and about 11 people were lightly injured, mostly suffering shock, Dieppe local official Jehan-Eric Vinclair said.
Avril, the company that owns the factory, is France's leading manufacturer of vegetable oils which are used in food products and for biofuels and other industrial products.
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