Two people have died and 19 others have been hospitalised following a chemical spill at the Catalyst Refiners plant in West Virginia. The incident occurred at around 9.30am EDT (2.30pm BST) on Wednesday, according to Kanawha County emergency officials.
The leak was caused by a “violent reaction of chemicals” involving nitric acid and another substance, producing highly toxic hydrogen sulphide gas. Emergency management director C.W. Sigman said that “starting or ending a chemical reaction are the most dangerous times,” and described the reaction as instantaneously overreacting.
Among the injured are seven ambulance workers who responded to the incident. One person remains in critical condition, while others were taken to hospital in private cars or, in one case, a garbage truck. Patients are experiencing respiratory symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat and itchy eyes, according to a hospital spokesman.
A large-scale decontamination operation was carried out, with people required to remove their clothing and be sprayed down. A shelter-in-place order was issued for the surrounding area and lifted more than five hours later. The plant’s owner, Ames Goldsmith Corp., expressed sadness over the deaths, stating: “This is an unfathomably difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with our colleagues and their families.”
