Hazmat crews recovered the worker after a spill at the Martin Asphalt terminal on Christy Place.
HOUSTON, TX — A worker died Wednesday after an asphalt storage tank ruptured at a South Houston industrial facility, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of hot material and burying the worker under several feet of asphalt, authorities said.
The death brought a large emergency response to the Martin Asphalt terminal in the 300 block of Christy Place, where local firefighters, hazmat crews, recovery teams and investigators worked into the evening. Officials said the cause of the rupture had not been determined. The worker’s name had not been released as authorities notified relatives and the medical examiner reviewed the death.
Emergency crews were sent to the facility Wednesday afternoon after reports of an asphalt tank failure near Christy Place and Texas Street. The Houston Fire Department said hazmat personnel, medics and recovery units assisted South Houston responders after asphalt spilled at the site. Senior Capt. Raul Reyes said early information showed the incident may have involved either a tank failure or a truck carrying asphalt, but officials later described the scene as a storage tank rupture.
Officials said the tank held about 50,000 gallons of asphalt when it failed. The spill covered part of the industrial yard and trapped the worker beneath about three feet of material. Fire crews located the worker, but recovery took time because of the conditions around the tank and the amount of asphalt on the ground. Martin Asphalt said emergency response procedures were started and local responders were notified after the incident. “This is a tragic situation, and we are treating it with the utmost seriousness at every level of our company,” the company said in a statement.
Images from the scene showed a large tank with visible damage and dark asphalt spread across the ground around the structure. Responders used caution because asphalt can remain extremely hot after it is stored or moved. A source cited by local media said the material was about 210 degrees. Officials said air monitoring continued during the response and that there was no known danger to the surrounding community Wednesday evening. Crews remained at the site after the body was recovered, with cleanup teams standing by.
Martin Asphalt said the worker was an employee at its South Houston terminal. The company said it had begun an internal review and was cooperating with government authorities. Sharon Taylor, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Martin Midstream Partners LP, said the cause had not been determined and that the company would not speculate while reviews continued. The company said it was focused on supporting the worker’s family and employees affected by the death.
The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office said recovery operations were complete Wednesday night and that the medical examiner’s office was at the scene. Officials said the Pasadena Fire Marshal’s Office was investigating the cause of the rupture. No charges had been announced, and authorities had not said whether any safety violations, equipment problems or maintenance issues played a role. The company said its safety procedures and emergency response protocols were activated after the spill.
The facility sits in an industrial pocket of South Houston, a small city southeast of Houston near petrochemical, trucking and storage operations that serve the region’s roads and construction trades. Asphalt is commonly stored in heated tanks before it is moved for paving and industrial uses. The incident drew attention because of the size of the spill, the death of a worker and the difficulty crews faced in reaching the affected area.
Officials did not release a detailed timeline of the worker’s final moments or say what job the worker was performing when the tank failed. They also had not said whether other workers were nearby, whether anyone else was injured or whether operations at the terminal had been stopped beyond the affected area. Martin Asphalt said access to the site was limited by conditions after the spill and that it was gathering and reviewing facts as part of its internal process.
The next steps include the medical examiner’s formal identification of the worker and determination of cause and manner of death, along with fire marshal reviews of the tank, site conditions and response records. Investigators are expected to examine the failed tank, interview witnesses and review maintenance and safety records. Cleanup work was expected to proceed after investigators determined the scene could be safely cleared.
By Thursday, authorities had confirmed the worker’s body had been recovered and the immediate recovery operation was complete. The worker’s identity remained unreleased, and the cause of the tank rupture remained under investigation.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.