Acid Pipe Break Releases Toxic Vapor; 30 Hurt, Thousands Flee

Workers severed a hydrofluoric acid pipeline at a Marathon Oil Co. plant Friday night and sent a cloud of toxic vapor into the sky, sickening 30 people and forcing as many as 4,000 to flee, police said.

About 30 people were undergoing treatment late Friday at southeast Texas hospitals, most complaining of smarting eyes or shortness of breath.

The leak at the Marathon plant occurred about 5:20 p.m. and forced police and other emergency crews to order the evacuation of between 3,000 and 4,000 residents in a 21-block-by-4-block area on the city’s southeast side, police officer Bruce Stewart said.

Crane Loses Load

Marathon spokesman Ira Winsten said the accident occurred when a crane carrying 620 barrels of an undisclosed substance lost its load, dropping the barrels and severing the acid pipeline.

“We are using a water spray at this time to knock down the vapor cloud,” Winsten said.

Police dispatchers initially described the accident as a chlorine spill.

Most of the injured went to Danforth Hospital, where spokeswoman Beverly Boase said 25 to 30 patients filled the emergency room to overflowing.

Lung Studies

“We are taking and evaluating people at this time,” Boase said. “We have a couple of people undergoing pulmonary (lung) function studies, so there may be more (serious injuries) involved in those cases.”

Three more patients were treated at Mainland Center Hospital, a nursing supervisor said.

Hydrofluoric acid is a colorless liquid that is corrosive to metals and tissue. The liquid or its fumes can cause severe burns.

The accident forced cancellation of Friday night’s football game between Texas City and Galveston.