Overview
- The tank at Martin Asphalt, which ruptured Wednesday around 3:30 p.m., released an estimated 50,000 gallons and buried a worker under about three feet of hot tar.
- The man's body was recovered around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to county fire and forensic officials.
- The Pasadena Fire Marshal's Office is leading the cause investigation, and OSHA has opened a workplace fatality probe.
- Harris County Pollution Control said monitors found no airborne contaminants, yet neighbors reported strong petroleum odors and symptoms like headaches and nausea.
- Crews are cleaning tar from nearby streets and a drainage channel, and officials say the complex, heavy‑equipment work could take several days.