Two people are dead and more than 30 needed medical treatment after a chemical emergency on Wednesday at a refinery in West Virginia, the authorities said.
Emergency responders were called to Catalyst Refiners, a silver recovery business in Nitro, about 9:30 a.m. after a “chemical release,” the authorities in Kanawha County said in a statement.
The Ames Goldsmith Corporation, which operates the plant, said that the deaths included two “colleagues,” and that a third person was being treated at a hospital.
Other employees were being evaluated at a hospital as a precaution, the company added.
The company said the casualties were the result of an industrial incident that “appears to have resulted in the creation of chemical fumes” at the refinery.
The fumes were contained in one building, it said.
Ben Salango, the president of the Kanawha County Commissioners, said at a news conference that preliminary information indicated that the site was “shutting down operations” and that cleaning and decontamination activities were underway in preparation for the closure when the episode occurred. It was not immediately clear how much of the facility was being shut down.
“At this time it is believed that a chemical reaction occurred during that cleaning process that created hydrogen sulfide,” Mr. Salango said.
Hydrogen sulfide is a flammable, colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, just a few breaths of air containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death. Longer-term exposure at lower levels can cause eye irritation, headache and fatigue.
Dr. Tom Takubo, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Thomas Memorial Hospital in Charleston, W.Va., said 30 to 45 people were in the initial contaminated area, and each person went through a decontamination process. He said some had since been sent home.
Of those being treated, 12 have been admitted to the hospital, he said. Four were brought by emergency medical workers; the rest came on their own, he said.
“Some of the people were from the surrounding area and were not on the plant site specifically but were having symptoms of skin irritation,” he said.
Other symptoms included mild redness and watering of the eyes, Dr. Takubo said. Some patients who were closest to the spill have respiratory symptoms, such as shortness of breath and chest tightness, he said. But all were in stable condition.
The chemical emergency prompted the authorities to close roads and to issue a shelter-in-place order for a mile radius around the plant. The order was later lifted.
Christine Hauser is a Times reporter who writes breaking news and features.
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