A chemical tank exploded in Toledo, Ohio on Wednesday, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes or shelters amid fears of toxic leaks and the possibility of another explosion.
Video shows plumes billowing from the tank on Wednesday morning, hours after the leak first erupted on Tuesday night.
Some residents experienced eye and throat irritations, and a deputy who responded to the blast drove to the hospital because he felt ill, city officials said.
MC Tank Transport said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which the company describes as “an industrial chemical used to improve the properties of certain plastics, paints and coatings”.
The leaking tank is located in a major industrial area.
Nearly 1,000 residents within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the blast were told to evacuate overnight, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Wednesday morning.
The shelter-in-place order covers a 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius that includes communities along Lake Erie and extends across state lines into Michigan.
Health officials say so far the chemical has mainly been an irritant that can cause eyes to water, and testing is underway to determine the extent of the toxicity in the air.
Kristine Kowalinski, who lives outside the affected area, said she stayed indoors because she is also sensitive to wood burning outside.
She said she was concerned about conditions in the air and on the ground.
“My main concern is when the rain comes pouring down on the car, the house and my garden overnight, how does that affect everything,” she said.
The chemical is a liquid inside the tank but turns into a gas when released, Kapzukiewicz said.
Jeremy Wadsworth/The Blade via AP
“There are still concerns that the tank was emitting this chemical and that it had the potential to explode within 12 hours of the incident,” the mayor said, adding that the tank can hold 5,500 gallons of liquid chemicals. He said officials did not know the cause of the explosion.
The city’s fire department said people exposed to glycidyl methacrylate may experience burns to their eyes, nose, mouth and skin. Overexposure can cause headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting.
“If you touch it, if you ingest it, it’s really toxic,” Toledo-Lucas County Health Department Director Karim Barudi said. “Now we’re trying to determine how much toxicity is in the air that people are breathing so that we can provide better guidance.”
Barudi advised residents to close their windows and those “who experience stinging eyes and heavy breathing to take a shower for now.” The fire department said people experiencing symptoms should contact a medical professional.
Kapzukiewicz said first responders, hazardous materials and safety teams would not approach the tank due to the risk of more explosions and would reassess the situation later Wednesday morning.
Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said in a statement that it is working with the fire department and other emergency departments. Kapuzukiewicz said company representatives were on their way to Toledo.
“Our primary concern is the safety of area residents, emergency personnel and our employees,” the company said.