was taken to hospital after inhaling fumes, while nine others admitted themselves as a precaution.<\/p>\nArkema said this was believed to have been caused by a\u00a0\u201cnon-toxic irritant\u201d.<\/p>\n
Harris County sheriff\u00a0Ed Gonzales\u00a0said the release was not believed to have been a result of an explosion, despite earlier reports of blasts.<\/p>\n
Residents living within a 1.5-mile (2.4km) radius of the plant were evacuated after the company warned there was a risk of explosions and fire.<\/p>\n
During heavy rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, the complex lost the ability to refrigerate chemical compounds that need to be kept cool.<\/p>\n
In an earlier statement, Arkema said: \u201cAt approximately 2am CDT [07:00 GMT], we were notified by the Harris County Emergency Operations Center of two explosions and black smoke coming from the Arkema Inc plant in Crosby, Texas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want local residents to be aware that product is stored in multiple locations on the site, and a threat of additional explosion remains.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease do not return to the area within the evacuation zone until local emergency response authorities announce it is safe to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Door-to-door search<\/p>\n
At least 33 people have been killed in eastern Texas in the aftermath of the storm, which the\u00a0US National Weather Service\u00a0has now downgraded to a tropical depression.<\/p>\n
Heavy rainfall is expected from Louisiana to Kentucky over the next three days, and flood warnings remain in effect for south-east Texas and parts of south-west Louisiana.<\/p>\n
US energy supplies have been hit, as oil companies shut down refineries and a major pipeline in the Houston area.<\/p>\n
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