Chemical Leak Kills 2, Hospitalizes 19 at WV Plant

Two people died and 19 others were hospitalized following a chemical leak at a silver recovery facility in Institute, West Virginia, on Wednesday morning, authorities reported.

The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at the Catalyst Refiners plant, located about 10 miles west of Charleston, as workers prepared to shut down part of the operation. A chemical reaction involving nitric acid and a substance known as M2000A produced hydrogen sulfide, a highly toxic gas, Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said. "It caused a violent reaction of chemicals, and it instantaneously overreacted," Sigman told reporters at a news briefing. He noted that starting or ending operations at chemical plants represent the most dangerous phases.

First responders arrived shortly before 10 a.m., prompting officials to issue a shelter-in-place order within a one-mile radius of the site. The alert notified nearby residents and businesses, while Route 25 in front of the plant was closed and Route 60 was briefly shut down. Nearby schools, including those on the campus of West Virginia State University, also sheltered in place as a precaution. The order was lifted about five...