Originally published on WDSU
LAKE CHARLES, La. —
Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit (ESU) technicians are working a hazardous material incident involving a chlorine leak originating from the BioLab chemical manufacturing facility in Westlake, Louisiana.
Louisiana State Police reported Thursday that a fire broke out at a gas refinery in Lake Charles after Hurricane Laura moved through the area.
According to state police, they, along with hazmat and emergency officials, are on the scene.
I-10 in southwest Louisiana has remained closed overnight due to the effects of Hurricane Laura and emergency personnel utilizing the interstate system are being diverted off of I-10 around the incident location.
Residents in the area are being advised to shelter in place. Citizens should not be engaging in unnecessary travel at this time.
LSP ESU personnel are coordinating with plant managers to contain the leak.
LPS asks people to follow emergency orders from local officials.
Gov. John Bel Edwards office sent an emergency text message urging anyone in the Westlake/Moss Bluff/Sulphur area to shelter in place until further notice and to close all doors and windows.This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
The company that owns the chemical lab issued the following statement:
“KIK Custom Products confirmed that, as a result of damage sustained during Hurricane Laura, there is currently a fire at one plant located at the company’s Biolab Lake Charles, LA facility. Our priority is the safety and well-being of the Lake Charles community of which we are a part. We are deploying a specialized team to the site, and we are working with first responders, local authorities, and environmental agencies to contain and mitigate the impact of this incident as quickly as possible. The facility had been evacuated when the hurricane was upgraded to category 4 after following shut-down protocols, and all employees are confirmed to be safe at this time. We will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
