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

Chemical tank may still be explosive: 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. The tank may still be explosive, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz warned.

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

The chemical in the tank: 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.” People who come into contact with the chemical may feel as if their eyes, nose, mouth and skin are burning, the city fire department said.

City orders evacuations

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, Mayor Wade 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.

俄亥俄州托莱多市一个化学品储罐发生爆炸，数百名居民因担心有毒物质泄漏而被迫撤离家园或就地避难。市长韦德·卡普舒凯维奇警告说，该储罐可能仍有爆炸危险。

据卡普舒凯维奇周三上午的新闻发布会上称，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，罐内化学品为甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯，该公司称其为“一种用于改善某些塑料、油漆和涂料性能的工业化学品”。市消防部门称，接触该化学品的人可能会感到眼睛、鼻子、嘴巴和皮肤灼痛。

市政府下令疏散

市长韦德·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不会靠近油罐，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。