The public is concerned about its impact on health, with a pungent odor at the scene. A chemical leak from a refinery in the United States has caused a fire
On the 25th, a chemical leak occurred in a storage tank at a refinery in southern Louisiana, USA, causing a fire. According to local media reports, on the 26th, a pungent smell could be smelled in the air at the location of the incident. Many local residents have also expressed concerns about their health to the media.
After the accident, Marathon Oil Company, responsible for operating the refinery, confirmed that the leaked chemical was naphtha, which is one of the raw materials for producing gasoline. After the accident, some local residents reported feeling nauseous, dizzy, and headache. Medical experts remind nearby residents to stay indoors as much as possible, especially those with respiratory diseases.
Local resident Michael: Last night, my eyes were very painful, and I had to keep getting up and rinsing with water.
According to local residents, more than an hour after the fire broke out, they still did not hear any alarms, and the refinery staff did not tell them what had happened. Thinking of the situation at that time, many people felt panicked.
Local resident Martinez: I can't understand why they didn't come to remind us? There have been some accidents here before, and they always happen, but no one has ever reminded us.
Records show that the involved refinery has experienced multiple safety accidents
According to US media reports, this refinery, which experienced a chemical leak and caused a fire, is not the first time such an accident has occurred.
According to Louisiana and federal records, in February 2022, an explosion occurred at the refinery, resulting in four workers being injured. The investigation shows that the explosion was caused by the refinery's serious violation of workplace safety standards. In October of the same year, a fire broke out at the refinery, which lasted for about 10 hours and injured two workers.
In addition, in 2020, a fire broke out on one of the production lines of this refinery, fortunately no one was injured.