Update at 1:15pm: Authorities say one person is confirmed dead after a fire at a chemical plant near Houston.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says two other people were life-flighted after the fire broke out Tuesday at KMCO in Crosby. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.
Gonzalez says preliminary information shows that the chemical isobutylene initially started the fire, and is still burning. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the plant.
Residents who live within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant have been told to stay indoors with their windows closed and heating and cooling systems turned off.
Original Story:
CROSBY, Texas (AP) – Fire officials in Texas say early reports show that one person is unaccounted for and two people are injured after a fire at a Houston-area chemical plant.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office says the fire is burning at a KMCO chemical plant in Crosby, a northeast Houston suburb. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the plant.
One employee told Houston television station KPRC that the plant was in the process of being evacuated because workers were told that there was a leak of some sort.
The employee said the plant exploded as about 20 workers were leaving. He said employees had to crawl under a gate because the gate was locked.
(Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
