Chemicals leak at Houston-area petrochem fire prompts new travel restrictions

FILE PHOTO: Smoke covers the Houston area from a fire burning at the Intercontinental Terminals Company in Deer Park, east of Houston, Texas, U.S., March 18, 2019. Michael Sahrman/Handout via REUTERS

HOUSTON (Reuters) - An earthen barrier holding chemicals that leaked from a massive petrochemical fire outside Houston breached on Friday, prompting restrictions on travel around the site, part of the busiest U.S. oil export port.

Intercontinental Terminals Co., a unit of Japan's Mitsui & Co, called for a shelter-in-place around the Deer Park, Texas, fuels storage facility as chemicals were being pumped from damaged tanks holding thousands of gallons of fuel.

(Reporting by Gary McWilliams; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)