Chemical leak kills 2, injures 19 others
Chemical leak kills 2, injures 19 others
INSTITUTE, W.Va. — A chemical leak at a West Virginia silver recovery business Wednesday killed two people and sent 19 others to the hospital, including one in critical condition, authorities said.
The leak occurred at the Catalyst Refiners plant in Institute as workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility, Kanawha County Commission Emergency Management Director C.W. Sigman said.
A chemical gas reaction occurred at the plant involving nitric acid and another substance, Sigman said at a news briefing.
The chemical reaction that was believed to have occurred during a cleaning process produced toxic hydrogen sulfide, Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango said.
Among the injured were seven ambulance workers responding to the leak, officials said. Other people were taken to the hospitals in private cars or even in one case a garbage truck, Sigman said.
One person was in critical condition, Salango said.
Vandalia Health Charleston Area Medical Center, was treating multiple patients, hospital spokesman Dale Witte said.
WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston said in a statement it has cared for a dozen patients. It said those injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Officials said all the deaths occurred on the plant site.
Ames Goldsmith Corp., the owner of Catalyst Refiners, said it is saddened by the deaths. It promised to work with officials as they investigate the leak.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into what happened, a spokesperson said, adding that the agency has six months to complete its examination.
3 children’s remains found in Memphis
MEMPHIS — Authorities say they are investigating the discovery of unidentified remains of three children, believed to be between 3 and 7 years of age, in Memphis that could have been there for years.
At a news conference Wednesday, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis said a skull was found March 8 near a wooded area by someone walking their dog, who reported it to police. That led to further searches over the days and weeks.
A K-9 cadaver dog led authorities to a drainage pipe later searched by camera. Investigators found another skull April 1, this one in the drainage system, Davis said.
The following day, search teams in the area found another 14 bones, Davis said.
About 170 personnel from various agencies were scouring the area Wednesday, seeking more evidence that could help identify the deceased, Davis said. Police said they hoped to close the portion of the investigation at that specific search area crime scene Wednesday evening.
The cause of death is still undetermined.
Authorities believe there is no active threat to the public. Davis said the children were not people reported as missing in the Memphis area.
Vehicle hits commuter train; 11 injured
WASHINGTON — A work vehicle hit a commuter train in downtown Washington early Wednesday, leaving 11 people with minor injuries, officials said.
The stationary silver line train was struck just after midnight at the Metro Center station, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a social media post.
The injuries were minor and everyone walked out of the station, transit authority general manager and CEO Randy Clarke said on social media. The damage was minor and there are no signs of nefarious actions or problems with infrastructure, Clarke said.
The National Transportation Safety Board was on site and working with transit authority investigators, and communications and video will be reviewed, he said.
Body of missing ship crew member found
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Searchers found the body of one of the six missing crew members from a cargo ship that overturned near the Northern Mariana Islands during a typhoon and were looking for the rest, hoping they might have made it to a life raft.
U.S. Air Force divers used an underwater drone Tuesday to search inside the overturned ship, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release. Divers from Japan’s coast guard further examined the ship, but didn’t find the other five, it said.
“Coast Guard aircrews continue to search for the five missing crewmen and an orange 12-person life raft in the vicinity of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,” the news release said.
The National Weather Service said Super Typhoon Sinlaku was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph when it made landfall last week in the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory.
The ship notified the U.S. Coast Guard April 15 that the U.S.-registered vessel lost its starboard engine during the typhoon and needed assistance. The guard said it lost contact with the ship the next day.
Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted Saturday about 40 miles northeast of Pagan.
