Catalyst Refiners in Nitro, W. Va., faced a deadly chemical emergency Wednesday when hydrogen sulfide fumes released during cleaning killed two employees and injured 21 others. The incident triggered a shelter-in-place order for a mile radius, later lifted after responders contained the fumes in one building. Ames Goldsmith Corp., the plant’s operator, confirmed casualties included two “colleagues” and a third individual hospitalized, with others undergoing precautionary evaluations. Hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas with a rotten-egg odor, poses immediate lethal risks at high concentrations, according to the EPA.

The plant shutdown and decontamination efforts highlight vulnerabilities in industrial safety protocols.