Image courtesy of Baltimore City Fire Department
In mid-November semi carrying anhydrous ammonia sprung a leak while it was parked behind a Weatherford, Oklahoma hotel. Hundreds were evacuated, 34 were hospitalized and many more were ordered to shelter-in-place. Among the injured were five police officers who suffered chemical burns to their airways.
WOCO reported that Weatherford Fire Chief Kory Selman said that some of his responders needed IV fluids and that a couple may need breathing treatments due to a cough, but that none were injured or hospitalized.
Also Read: Four Steps to Handling an Ammonia Leak
According to reports by The Associated Press, firefighters went door-to-door evacuating nearby residents until the area was deemed safe the following morning.
A leaking gasket from a tanker truck carrying 25,000 pounds (11,340 kilograms) of ammonia was responsible for the incident, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement. The cause seemed to be a mechanical failure on a valve or a faulty seal, the police chief told AP.
Also Read: May 11, 1976 Ammonia Truck Disaster Kills 7, Injures 200
Director of Emergency Management Mike Karlin told WOCO that the leak appears accidental, saying it appeared to be a seal or something on the trailer itself. Karlin said it is concerning that a rig with that level of hazardous material was parked in a residential area.
The National Transportation Safety Board is taking the investigation’s lead. NSTB had not yet published anything regarding its investigation.
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