At least two people are dead, and nearly three dozen others suffered injuries after a chemical leak at an oil refinery Thursday, prompting a shelter-in-place order for two East Texas cities, officials said.
The leak took place at Pemex Deer Park, about 18 miles east of Houston, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.
The department reported deputies, and the Deer Park Fire Department responded to the facility at 5:23 p.m. local time for a report of a hydrogen sulfide leak, a colorless gas with a strong odor.
The facility where the incident occurred was a refinery that processes crude oil to produce gasoline and other fuels. Officials announced a shelter-in-place order for Deer Park and Pasadena after the leak.
In its initial alert Thursday, officials reported several people had suffered injuries, and one was killed in a chemical incident.
In a late Thursday night update, the sheriff’s office announced two people had died, and 35 people had received medical treatment in connection to the leak. The agency also said the shelter-in-place order had been lifted.
Sheriff’s office Senior Deputy Thomas M Gilliland told USA TODAY Friday that five of the injured were transported to local hospitals to be treated for unspecified injuries. PEMEX Deer Park said a “gas release was reported at one of its operating units” at 4:40 p.m., ABC News reported.
