Worker Dies in Suspected Gas Leak at Osaka Prefecture Refinery; Another Victim is in Critical Condition (Update 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:24 JST, May 17, 2025 (updated at 17:57 JST)

SAKAI, Osaka — A worker died and another was left unconscious and in critical condition on Saturday following a suspected gas leak at an oil refinery in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, according to the local fire department.

The department received an emergency call at around 10 a.m. from Eneos Corp.’s refinery in the city, during which the two workers were said to have collapsed after inhaling gas. The gas could have been hydrogen sulfide, the caller added.

Three people were taken to the hospital, including the man who died, who was in his 60s, and the man in critical condition, who is in his 40s, according to the department.