Texas Industrial Worker Burned Alive When Asphalt Tank Collapsed

SOUTH HOUSTON, Texas — An industrial worker died on Wednesday afternoon when an asphalt storage tank collapsed, burying him in three feet of the tar-like substance.

Fox 26 Houston reported that an employee at Martin Asphalt was burned alive in the city of South Houston, Texas, when the storage tank, containing 50,000 gallons of asphalt, ruptured and collapsed. Officials say the worker became trapped under three feet of 210-degree asphalt.

Houston Fire Department HAZMAT crews arrived and carried out recovery operations. The remains of the as-yet-unidentified worker were recovered from the spill. The Pasadena Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident, Fox 26 stated.

Neighbors told KHOU CBS 11 they heard and felt an explosion while inside their homes. One resident said she heard a loud blast and saw a wave of black smoke and asphalt raining down around her building. Another said her car got stuck in the molten asphalt and would not move.

Martin Asphalt released the following statement published by Fox 26:

Sharon Taylor, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, ‘Martin Asphalt confirms with deep regret that an employee involved in a recent incident at our South Houston, Texas asphalt terminal has died. Due to conditions at the site, access to the affected area has been limited and the employee has not yet been recovered. Emergency response procedures were initiated and local emergency responders were notified and responded to the site. This is a tragic situation, and we are treating it with the utmost seriousness at every level of our company.

Our deepest sympathies are with the employee’s family during this difficult time. We are focused on supporting those affected, including providing appropriate resources to our workforce.

Safety is a fundamental priority for our company. We maintain established safety procedures and emergency response protocols across our operations, and those protocols were activated. We have commenced a comprehensive internal review of the incident and are in the process of gathering and evaluating all relevant facts and information. We are also cooperating with appropriate governmental authorities in connection with their reviews.

At this time, the cause of the incident has not been determined. It would be inappropriate to speculate prior to the completion of the review processes. Our focus is on ensuring a thorough, objective, and methodical evaluation of the circumstances.

Out of respect for the individual and their family, and to preserve the integrity of the ongoing review processes, we are not providing additional details at this time. We appreciate the public’s understanding as we work through this matter carefully and responsibly.

This statement reflects information currently available to the company. We will continue to evaluate information as it develops and will provide updates if and when appropriate.’