The emergency department of Kanawha County, West Virginia, USA, stated that a silver recycling plant in the county experienced a chemical leak on the morning of the 22nd, resulting in 2 deaths and over 30 people seeking medical treatment.
According to local emergency management officials, while workers at the plant were cleaning a storage tank set for demolition, a violent chemical reaction occurred between nitric acid and other substances, leading to the release of toxic materials. Those seeking treatment included multiple responding emergency personnel.
The head of the plant's parent company, Ames Goldsmith, issued a statement expressing grief over the deaths of the two employees in the accident and said the company is cooperating with government authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.
At present, the shelter-in-place order for the area near the accident site has been lifted.