The chemical spill injured dozens of people, some seriously, and forced hundreds to evacuate the western Oklahoma town Wednesday night, local officials said. The evacuation order was lifted Thursday morning.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. local time in Weatherford, Oklahoma, where an 8,500-gallon tanker truck began leaking toxic ammonia, Weatherford Police Chief Angelo Orefice told CBS News Thursday morning. He said rescue crews had stopped the leak and the airborne chemicals had dissipated to levels deemed safe for people to return.
The leaking truck was parked in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express, Weatherford Emergency Manager Mike Carlin said. at a press conference broadcast by CBS affiliate KWTV. When emergency personnel arrived on scene, they found people in respiratory distress leaving the hotel, the emergency manager said.
“As the event unfolded, we had a large plume of anhydrous ammonia gas spreading over quite a large area,” Carlin said, estimating that 500 to 600 people were displaced and remained in temporary shelters after evacuating the hotel as well as their personal residences. Orefice said the number of evacuees was slightly lower, between 300 and 500, although he acknowledged the situation remained fluid at the time.
Alonzo Adams/AP
Sandra Payne, a spokeswoman for SSM Health, which oversees Weatherford Regional Hospital, told CBS News in an email Thursday evening that three dozen patients were initially admitted to Weatherford Regional Hospital late Wednesday for treatment for chemical exposure.
Most were treated and released, but 10 were sent to Oklahoma City for further care, Payne said. As of Thursday evening, seven of those 10 patients were being treated at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. There was no word about their conditions.
Another 30 patients were treated at Weatherford Regional on Thursday and all 30 were discharged, Payne said.
Officials previously said about 14 officers were exposed to anhydrous ammonia and five suffered chemical burns to their respiratory tract. Multiple first responders were treated and released at the scene.
There were no reports of deaths as of Thursday evening.
National Transportation Safety Board stated On Thursday evening, a message about the investigation into the incident was published on social media.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where some of the evacuees were staying, announced that in-person classes would be canceled Thursday due to an ammonia leak.
“First responders on scene advised all students in SWOSU residence halls on campus to remain in place due to smoke. Students in residence halls should remain indoors and keep windows and doors closed,” the university said in a statement. Weatherford Public Schools announced closures also throughout the area.
A public safety notice On Thursday morning, the Weatherford Police Department issued an advisory asking businesses to remain closed and residents in some areas to shelter in place until further notice.
Ammonia is a clear gas or liquid with an unpleasant odor that occurs naturally but is also widely used in fertilizers and pharmaceutical products. according to to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Exposure to normal amounts of ammonia does not cause harm to humans, although higher levels can damage the eyes, skin, throat and lungs, potentially causing coughing and burns, the health agency says.
