Two dead in West Virginia 'chemical release' at manufacturing facility

The incident took place Wednesday morning and a total of 21 people sought medical care or evaluation at the Catalyst Refiners, Inc. Institute, which manufactures silver catalyst.

By Misty Severi

Published: April 22, 2026 4:33pm

Two people died and one person is in critical condition Wednesday after a "chemical release" occurred at a manufacturing facility in West Virginia.

The incident took place Wednesday morning and a total of 21 people sought medical care or evaluation at the Catalyst Refiners, Inc. Institute, which manufactures silver catalyst, NBC News reported.

The facility was in the process of shutting down its operations and cleaning when a chemical reaction created the toxic gas hydrogen sulfide, according to a news release.

Details on the cause of the chemical release were not immediately clear and no information on the victims has been released so far.

West Virginia GOP Gov. Patrick Morrissey is expected to meet with emergency officials at 5 p.m. and deliver an update on the incident at 6 p.m., according to his office.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.