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

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – A chemical tank explosion in Toledo, Ohio, forced hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes or shelter in place Wednesday due to fears of a toxic release and the possibility of another explosion.

Key points

• Video indicated a plume billowing from the tank Wednesday morning, hours after the leak first erupted Tuesday night.
• MC Tank Transport remarked the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate.
• The leaking tank was in a largely industrial area.

Some residents felt irritation in their eyes and throats, and one sheriff's deputy who responded to the blast drove himself to a hospital since he felt unwell, city office-holders noted.

MC Tank Transport remarked the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate. It it described as "an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better."

For context, the leaking tank was in a largely industrial area. Almost 1, 000 residents were informed to evacuate overnight within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the explosion, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz noted at a news conference Wednesday morning.

Taken together, the developments around a chemical tank explodes in Ohio, forcing evacuations and prompting fears of point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.