LA PORTE, Texas — Two brothers were among four workers who died Saturday after a chemical leak at a facility here.
Family members said Robert and Gilbert Tisnado worked side by side at the DuPont chemical plant for six years.
When the chemical leak started early Saturday morning, Gilbert rushed in with a gas mask to try and save his brother, relatives said. Tragically, both brothers died. A fifth worker was hospitalized.
DuPont company spokesman Aaron Woods said a valve failed on a container of methyl mercaptan, a chemical used to make insecticide, around 4 a.m. Saturday. Plant officials don't know why the valve failed.
Workers were able to get the leak under control by around 6 a.m. By then, five workers had already been exposed to the gas, he said.
Four workers died inside the unit, and a fifth was transported to an area hospital, officials said. Friends said the surviving worker was talking and conscious late Saturday.
"There are no words to fully express the loss we feel or the concern and sympathy we extend to the families of the employees and their co-workers," plant manager Randall Clements said. "We are in close touch with them and providing them every measure of support and assistance at this time."
Clements said the employees' tenures ranged from eight months to 40 years, and that all employees undergo "very extensive training — not only book training, but they must also demonstrate knowledge before you can work in a unit."
"The operators were doing the jobs they were trained to do," Clements said.
Winds carried a strong odor from the plant as far away as Sugar Land and parts of south and southwest Houston. Woods said the odor is not hazardous, adding that air quality tests in the area came back normal and local emergency officials decided not to issue a shelter-in-place order to the general public.
Woods said once it goes into the air, it dissipates to the point where it is no longer hazardous. the company expects the odor will be gone by the end of the day Saturday.
There has been a shelter-in-place order on and off at the DuPont facility all day. The company's La Porte facility has 320 employees. There are also four other tenant companies on the property that were all a part of the initial shelter-in-place order.
Relatives said Robert Tisnado is survived by his wife and three kids, and Gilbert leaves two children and five grandchildren. Those who know them say both men loved their co-workers and their family.
"He lived for his family," said Albert Davis, Robert's neighbor. "I don't know anybody that would spend as much time with his family as he did."
The leak also killed a supervisor who had been with DuPont for more than 40 years.
Plant administrators say they are still working to notify all of the families of affected workers.
"As part of that investigation, we are conducting our own top-to-bottom review of this incident and we will share what we learn with the relevant authorities," Clemens said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
