A routine operation at a silver recovery facility in Institute, West Virginia, turned fatal on Wednesday morning, 22 April, when a severe chemical gas leak at the Catalyst Refiners plant left two workers dead and 19 others in urgent need of medical treatment. The incident triggered a large-scale emergency response and prompted officials to order residents within a one‑mile radius to shelter indoors.
Emergency crews converged on the warehouse‑sized facility after a reaction involving nitric acid produced highly toxic hydrogen sulphide gas. Authorities activated an emergency alert system for nearby communities while teams carried out extensive decontamination procedures at the site.
