Tragedy at Pemex Deer Park Refinery: 2 Dead, 35 Injured in Hydrogen Sulfide Leak

A devastating chemical leak at the Pemex refinery in Deer Park, Texas, has resulted in the deaths of at least two employees and exposed 35 others to the highly toxic gas hydrogen sulfide. The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon around 4:40 p.m. at the refinery located off Highway 225.

The leak, which released thousands of pounds of hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas known for its pungent “rotten egg” odor, caused significant concern among local residents. Neighbors reported smelling the gas from miles away, and despite the air being declared safe by officials, some residents still detected a chemical smell early Friday morning.

Emergency responders had to wait overnight for the chemical levels to drop low enough to safely enter the unit at the center of the leak. The primary focus of the investigation is to determine if there are any additional fatalities. The cause of the leak is still unknown, but it is believed to have occurred while workers were working on a flange, leading to the gas leak.

The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of the emergency alert systems in Deer Park and Pasadena. Residents reported not receiving alerts, with some finding out about the leak through social media. The City of Deer Park acknowledged issues with their emergency alert system, while the reasons for the lack of alerts in Pasadena are still being investigated.

This is the second major incident in the area in less than four weeks, following a pipeline fire last month that burned for four days. Pemex, the Mexican energy giant that owns the refinery, has not yet commented on the cause of the leak. The refinery processes crudes from several countries and produces a range of petroleum products).