The Latest on a fire at a Houston-area chemical plant (all times local):
12:20 p.m.
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Fire officials in Texas say early reports show that one person is unaccounted for and two people are injured after a fire at a Houston-area chemical plant.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office says the fire is burning at a KMCO chemical plant in Crosby, a northeast Houston suburb. Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the plant.
One employee told Houston television station KPRC that the plant was in the process of being evacuated because workers were told that there was a leak of some sort.
The employee said the plant exploded as about 20 workers were leaving. He said employees had to crawl under a gate because the gate was locked.
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12:01 p.m.
A fire has erupted at a Houston-area chemical plant, spewing a plume of thick, black smoke into the air, and authorities say two workers may have been hurt.
Harris county Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says in a tweet that deputies were shutting down a roadway near Tuesday’s fire at a KMCO chemical plant in Crosby, a northeast Houston suburb.
Thick plumes of black smoke could be seen rising from the plant.
The fire comes about two weeks after a March 17 blaze at a petrochemical storage facility in Deer Park, located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Crosby.
According to its web site, KMCO is a chemical company that offers coolant and brake fluid products and chemicals for the oilfield industry.
The Crosby and Sheldon school districts have asked students and staff to shelter in place at all their campuses.
