Courtesy of ABC13
A tar spill occurred at Martin Asphalt Facility around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
A liquid tar spill killed a man at the Martin Asphalt facility in the City of South Houston on Wednesday afternoon, according to the company.
The leak occurred at Martin Asphalt Facility around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, ABC 13 reported.
“Emergency response procedures were initiated and local emergency responders were notified and responded to the site,” Martin Asphalt told Houston Public Media in a statement. “This is a tragic situation, and we are treating it with the utmost seriousness at every level of our company.”
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The company said a cause had not been determined and additional details were being withheld “out of respect for the individual and their family, and to preserve the integrity of the ongoing review processes.”
Laylow Martinez, a nearby resident, told a Houston Public Media reporter that he began feeling sick after workers sprayed water on the tar on Thursday.
“I’m getting headaches, sweating, heat flashes, skin irritation,” Martinez said. “We had asphalt up to our apartments … so, it’s like literally getting inches from water (being) inside my room now. That’s where my main concern is.”
Courtesy of ABC13
A tar spill occurred at Martin Asphalt Facility around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
In a statement, a Harris County Pollution Control Services (PCS) spokesperson said, “PCS conducted air monitoring throughout the incident area. No airborne contaminants were detected.”
On Thursday afternoon, a Houston Public Media reporter observed multiple cleanup workers working to clean up tar from nearby streets and a neighboring drainage channel.