Hundreds evacuated, dozens in hospital after Oklahoma ammonia spill
Nov. 13 (UPI) — Hundreds of residents in Oklahoma were evacuated from their homes following the crash of a semi-truck transporting toxic chemicals.
Nearly 1,000 local citizens in Weatherford, slightly west of Oklahoma City, left their residences Wednesday night after a toxic ammonia chemical spilled into the air that left nearly 35 people hospitalized.
“As the event unfolded, we had a large plume of anhydrous ammonia gas spread over a pretty large area,” Weatherford’s Emergency Manager Mike Karlin told a CBS News affiliate Thursday morning.
The crash took place after 10 p.m. CST, according to Weatherford Police Chief Angelo Orefice. Emergency alerts ere issued roughly an hour later.
“City of Weatherford partial evacuation due to chemical spill at Holiday Inn Express,” an emergency alert advised.
Officials said the unidentified truck driver parked the rig behind a Holiday Inn for the night with damaged truck equipment. Witnesses attested to seeing people wearing gas masks while going door-to-door to alert the community.
“Evacuate north to Davis Ave and from Washington Ave to Lyle Rd,” the alert added. “Safety location is Pioneer Cellular Center. If you are having medical symptoms, call 911, or medical personnel located at Ace Hardware.”
A shelter-in-place order has since been lifted.
Weatherford’s police chief recommended that the clothes people wore be placed outside so the ammonia chemical will dissipate.
Meanwhile, school was canceled for students Thursday in Weatherford in addition to Southwest Oklahoma State University.
In 2022, the Eggo Company was fined around $85,000 after company officials failed to report the release a large amount of ammonia in 2021 from its plant in San Jose, Calif.