Chemical leak at a West Virginia plant kills 2 people and sends 19 more to hospital, officials say

A chemical leak at Catalyst Refiners in Institute, West Virginia, killed two people and hospitalized 19 others due to a violent reaction involving nitric acid. Emergency responders and nearby residents were affected, prompting a shelter-in-place order and large-scale decontamination. The plant, owned by Ames Goldsmith Corp., specializes in recovering silver from chemical processes.