Dozens of other individuals required medical treatment during Deer Park's second shelter-in-place order in recent weeks.

At least two workers at an oil refinery near Houston were killed on Thursday after a hydrogen sulfide leak occurred at the plant. This incident prompted immediate warnings for nearby residents to stay indoors, although authorities later confirmed that the public was not in danger.

According to Ed Gonzalez, the sheriff of Harris County, nearly three dozen other individuals were either taken to hospitals or treated on-site. Hours after the leak began, Gonzalez reported that the area remained too hazardous for investigators to enter, suggesting that it might not be safe to access the site until Friday.

The refinery, located in the suburb of Deer Park, is operated by Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned oil company. The plant is part of a larger network of refineries and petrochemical plants that make Houston a major hub for the industry.

Gonzalez explained that the gas release occurred during work on a flange at the facility. In response, Pemex issued a statement saying that investigations were ongoing and that operations had been "proactively halted" at two units to mitigate any further risks.

Deer Park officials issued a shelter-in-place order for local residents, but it was lifted hours later after air quality monitoring showed no danger to the surrounding community, according to Deer Park Mayor Jerry Mouton. Hydrogen sulfide, a gas known for its foul smell, can be toxic at high concentrations. Mouton reassured the public by stating, "Other than the smell, we have not had any verifiable air monitoring to support that anything got outside the facility."

Television news footage showed multiple ambulances and emergency response vehicles at the scene. Initially, Gonzalez posted on the social media platform X that one person had been airlifted to a hospital by helicopter, but officials later clarified at a press conference that no one was transported by air.

This incident marks the second time in recent weeks that Deer Park has been affected by a major industrial accident. Last month, a pipeline fire that lasted four days forced nearby neighborhoods to evacuate, leading to similar shelter-in-place orders.