Chemical Accident in Houston: Two Dead and 35 Injured at Petroleos Mexicanos Refinery

A serious chemical accident at a refinery near Houston, owned by the Mexican state oil company Petroleos Mexicanos, claimed two lives and injured 35 people. As a consequence, the operation of the facility was partially suspended. According to CEO Victor Rodriguez Padilla, the victims, both contract workers, perished in the contaminated environment, with the recovery of the bodies only possible in the early morning hours due to the toxic substances. The incident has once again highlighted Pemex's already critical safety situation. The Deer Park refinery, previously a joint facility of Pemex and Shell, was fully taken over by Pemex in 2022. Following the incident, at least three major production units were shut down, including a coker unit and a desulfurization unit. These occurrences raise questions about the safety culture at Pemex, which is already under heavy criticism due to previous accidents, including a fatal platform explosion in 2021.