2 dead, 35 injured in Texas oil refinery leak

A chemical leak at a Texas oil refinery killed two workers and caused multiple injuries Thursday afternoon, officials with state-owned Mexican oil firm Pemex confirmed.

Pemex CEO Víctor Rodríguez Padilla confirmed the two fatalities at a Pemex refinery in Deer Park, saying the hydrogen sulfide leak occurred around 4:40 local time. Padilla said another 35 people were affected, 13 of whom were hospitalized and are now in stable condition.

“Investigations are continuing to determine the root cause of this incident and the actions that will allow the units involved to be restored to operation as soon as possible,” Pemex said in a statement.

Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, colorless gas associated with a strong sulfur odor akin to rotten eggs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can cause eye, nose and throat irritation in small amounts and, in larger amounts, convulsions or death. Severe but nonfatal exposures can still lead to long-term brain or heart damage if they result in convulsions or comas.

The city of Deer Park imposed a shelter-in-place order in the aftermath of the leak, lifting it at 9:30 local time Thursday night when Harris County Pollution Control Services reported it had not detected hazardous chemicals in the area. Shortly after, the pollution control office said local residents may notice “odors in the area” but said “the health risk to the general population remains low” and that officials had not measured detectable levels of sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide in the area.

The Deer Park refinery produces a number of petroleum products from crude oil, including gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel for airplanes and ships.

The incident occurred weeks after another industrial accident with uncertain long-term impacts in Conyers, Ga., where a fire broke out at the BioLab chemical plant. The fire has led to widespread health concerns among locals and calls for BioLab to relocate.