40,000 people ordered to evacuate in California after chemical leak
California, May 23
About 40,000 residents in Southern California were under evacuation orders after a leaking tank of volatile industrial chemical at an aerospace manufacturing facility sparked fears of a major explosion or toxic spill, according to local authorities.
Authorities on Friday (local time) said the leak began Thursday afternoon at a facility in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County, where an overheated storage tank holding methyl methacrylate -- a flammable chemical used in the production of acrylic plastics -- began venting hazardous vapours.
Officials said the facility operated by GKN Aerospace contains three storage tanks in total, with one suffering a cooling system failure, reports Xinhua news agency.
Later in the day, the OC Fire Authority shared a critical video update on X about the unstable 34,000-gallon tank of methyl methacrylate at GKN Aerospace.
Officials described two potential failure modes: a spill of 6,000-7,000 gallons of the flammable, toxic chemical into the area or thermal runaway leading to an explosion that could affect nearby tanks, with no active plume reported at briefing time.
Emergency crews initially believed they had stabilised the situation overnight, but worsening conditions on Friday prompted authorities to expand evacuation orders, forcing school closures and emergency responses across multiple cities.
Residents in Garden Grove and nearby communities were affected by the evacuation directives as emergency crews warned the compromised tank could either rupture and spill thousands of gallons of chemicals or explode.
"This thing is going to fail, and we don't know when," Orange County Fire Authority Chief Craig Covey said during a public briefing.
No injuries or deaths have been reported.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I live in Orange County, and this is scary. The fire department is doing a good job warning everyone, but I worry about the schools being closed and people finding places to go. Hope they contain it soon.
This reminds me of the Vizag gas leak in 2020. Such incidents are a wake-up call for stricter safety measures in chemical plants worldwide. Be safe, California! 🛡️
This is a huge failure in maintenance. How does a cooling system fail at a facility handling such volatile chemicals? I hope after this, GKN Aerospace and other plants audit their safety protocols.
Emergency crews saying "this thing is going to fail" is chilling. It's good they're being honest, but the uncertainty must be terrifying for the 40,000 people. Hope everyone has a safe place to go for now! 🌍
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