One person died and several others were injured Thursday when a chemical was released at a Houston-area industrial plant, a Texas sheriff said.
Authorities warned nearby residents to stay indoors and close doors and windows.
One of the injured people was taken to the hospital by helicopter, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on the social platform residents on social media that hydrogen sulfide had been released at a Pemex facility. .
Television crews showed several ambulances and emergency vehicles at the scene.
Gonzalez said preliminary information indicated it was a “chemical release” but did not elaborate.
In a statement obtained by CBS affiliate KHOU, Pemex said the release was first reported at 4:40 p.m. local time at one of its “operational units.”
“The incident is confined to our site and has been isolated,” the statement said. The company added that staff from several government agencies responded.
The plant is located in the suburb of Deer Park, where city officials have issued a stay-at-home order for nearby residents “as a precaution.”
In a job on social media Thursday evening, the Deer Park Office of Emergency Management said the shelter-in-place order had been lifted. He said Harris County agencies “are not reporting any hazardous chemicals in the community.”
Houston is the nation’s petrochemical heartland and home to a cluster of refineries and factories.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas that is extremely flammable and highly toxic.
The effects of exposure can “range from mild headache or eye irritation to very serious effects, loss of consciousness and death,” OSHA said.
