Deadly Chemical Leak at Catalyst Refiners Plant

0:00It's April 22nd. I'm Cory with the story, and this is Durham News Today, local news powered by AI. A chemical leak at the Catalyst Refiners Plan in Institute, West Virginia turned deadly, claiming two lives and landing 19 people in the hospital. This hit on April 22nd, 2026, right as workers prepped to shut down part of the facility. Officials points when nasty reaction between nitric acid and another substance that went off like a bomb, creating a violent gas release in seconds. Among those hurt were seven ambulance crew members who rushed in to help, showing how fast things escalated for everyone on scene, emergency management director CW. Sigmund called it an instantaneous overreaction of the chemicals, with the plant handling silver recovery operations. Investigators are digging deeper now, but this serves as a stark reminder of the risks in these industrial spots, hoping for quick answers and better. Save cards moving forward.