A chemical tank explodes in Ohio, forcing evacuations and prompting fears of another blast

A chemical tank exploded in Toledo, Ohio, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes or shelter in place due to fears of a toxic release, and the mayor warned Wednesday that it may still be explosive.

A sheriff’s deputy was injured when he responded to the explosion around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Wednesday morning. Kapszukiewicz provided no information about the deputy’s condition.

MC Tank Transport said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as “an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.”

“There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical and it has potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive,” the mayor said, adding that the can hold 5,500 gallons of the chemical in liquid form. He said officials don’t know what caused the explosion.

People who come into contact with glycidyl methacrylate may feel as if their eyes, nose, mouth and skin are burning, the city fire department said. Overexposure can lead to headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting.

“It’s really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,” Karim Baroudi, director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, said during the mayor’s news conference. “Now we’re trying to kind of determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that the people are breathing so we can give better guidance.”

Baroudi advised residents to close their windows and that those who “feel irritation in the eyes, heavily breathing, just take a shower for now.” The fire department said those who experience symptoms should contact a medical professional.

First responders, hazmat and safety teams are not approaching the tank because of the risk of more explosions, and will reassess conditions later Wednesday morning, Kapszukiewicz said.

The city ordered people within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the explosion to evacuate their homes and businesses Tuesday night. More than 900 people live within the evacuation zone, and all of them had left by Wednesday morning, the mayor said. A shelter-in-place order was issued for residents beyond the evacuation zone within a 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius.

It was very foggy early Wednesday in the city of about 265,000 people, hindering visibility and delaying efforts to use drones to monitor the site. Kapszukiewicz reassured residents outside the evacuation zone that the fog was unrelated to the chemical explosion. The National Weather Service said the fog was expected to lift by mid-morning.

Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said in a statement the company is working with the fire department and other emergency authorities.

“Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees,” it said. “Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees.”

俄亥俄州托莱多市一个化学品储罐发生爆炸，由于担心有毒物质泄漏，数百名居民被迫撤离家园或就地避难。市长周三警告说，该储罐可能仍然具有爆炸性。

市长韦德·卡普舒凯维奇周三上午在新闻发布会上表示，周二晚9点30分左右，一名警长副手在赶赴爆炸现场时受伤。卡普舒凯维奇没有透露该副手的伤情。

MC Tank Transport 公司表示，该罐内装有甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯，该公司将其描述为“一种用于提高某些塑料、油漆和涂料性能的工业化学品”。

市长表示：“我们仍然担心储罐会泄漏这种化学物质，而且在事故发生后的12小时内，它可能会发生爆炸。”他还补充说，该储罐内装有5500加仑液态化学物质。他说，官员们目前尚不清楚爆炸原因。

市消防​​部门表示，接触甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯的人可能会感到眼睛、鼻子、嘴巴和皮肤有灼烧感。过度接触会导致头痛、头晕、疲倦、恶心和呕吐。

“接触或误食都会导致剧毒，”托莱多-卢卡斯县卫生局局长卡里姆·巴鲁迪在市长的新闻发布会上说。“现在我们正在努力确定人们呼吸的空气中究竟含有多少毒素，以便我们能够提供更好的指导。”

巴鲁迪建议居民关闭门窗，并表示如果“感到眼睛发痒、呼吸急促”，请先冲个澡。消防部门表示，出现症状者应联系医疗专业人员。

卡普舒凯维奇表示，由于存在再次爆炸的风险，急救人员、危险品处理小组和安全小组尚未接近该油罐，并将于周三上午晚些时候重新评估情况。

周二晚间，市政府下令爆炸地点方圆 1 英里（1.6 公里）内的居民撤离家园和商铺。市长表示，疏散区内居住着 900 多人，截至周三上午，所有居民均已撤离。对于疏散区以外方圆 3 英里（4.8 公里）内的居民，则发布了就地避难令。

周三清晨，这座拥有约26.5万人口的城市大雾弥漫，能见度极低，导致无人机监测现场的工作受阻。卡普舒凯维奇向疏散区外的居民保证，大雾与化学品爆炸无关。美国国家气象局表示，预计大雾将在上午中段消散。

总部位于阿肯色州的 MC Tank Transport 公司在一份声明中表示，该公司正在与消防部门和其他紧急救援部门合作。

声明称：“我们当前最紧迫、最首要的关注点是当地居民、应急人员和我们员工的安全。”