At least 21 workers were injured Saturday morning, when an explosion occurred at a chemical plant in Pasadena, Texas.
A Blown Valve Allowed Ethylene Gas to Escape
The May 19th explosion occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m., at the Kuraray America EVAL manufacturing facility located at Bay Area Boulevard and Choate, roughly 30 miles outside of Houston.
Over-pressurized piping blew a safety valve, allowing ethylene gas to escape and catch fire.
19 Workers Were Taken to Hospital, including 2 Who Were Airlifted with Severe Burns
A total of 266 maintenance employees were on site at the time.
The Houston Chronicle reports that 21 people were injured in connection with the blast, including 19 who were transferred via ambulance to local hospitals.
Two additional workers were airlifted with severe burns.
Others suffered back and leg injuries as they tried to escape the plant.
Kuraray America’s Pasadena Plant is World’s Largest EVAL Producer
Headquartered in Houston, Kuraray America, Inc. is a subsidiary of Kuraray Co. LTD, a Japanese specialty chemical maker.
Though Pasadena is listed as its address, the Kuraray America EVAL facility is located in an unincorporated area of Houston’s suburbs.
The Plant manufactures ethylene vinyl alcohol, a chemical used in the production of plastics.
Opened in 1996, Kuraray America EVAL is now the largest producer of ethylene vinyl alcohol in the world, with an annual capacity of 47,000 tons.
The facility is currently undergoing an expansion that is expected to ramp up production to 58,000 tons annually by the end of the year.
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