Two dead, dozens treated after chemical release at West Virginia refinery

Two workers were killed and more than 30 others required medical attention Wednesday following a hydrogen sulfide release at the Catalyst Refiners plant in Nitro, West Virginia, authorities said.

Kanawha County officials reported that emergency crews responded to the facility around 9:30 a.m. after a chemical release was reported on site.

The Ames Goldsmith Corporation, which operates the refinery, confirmed that two of its employees died in the incident. A third worker is being treated at a hospital, while additional employees were taken in for precautionary evaluation.

In a statement, the company described the event as an industrial incident that appears to have generated chemical fumes inside the plant. Officials said the fumes were confined to a single building and did not spread beyond the facility.

Authorities have not released the names of those who died, and the cause of the release remains under investigation.