More than 44,000 people from several cities were evacuated to safe places on Friday due to a leak in a tank filled with toxic chemicals at an aerospace facility in Southern California in the US. Officials had warned that a gas leak was occurring at an aerospace facility located in Orange County.

Statement from fire authority officer

Orange County Fire Authority Chief Craig Covey said the tank, located in Garden Grove, contained an estimated 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a highly flammable and toxic substance used in the production of plastics. Talking to the media on Friday, he said that unless some talented person sitting behind me finds a way to stop this incident, it is sure to happen. This plan will fail and we don’t know when.

Orange County officials on Friday asked people in several cities, including Garden Grove, Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster, to evacuate their homes. Speaking to CBS LA, Covey said that I have never seen a situation worse than this. This is a very serious matter, do not take it lightly. He further said that I have been in the fire service for 32 years and this is the most dangerous incident I have ever been a part of.

Situation may get worse

He did not give any time as to when the evacuation orders would be lifted. OCFA officials said that there are a total of three tanks, out of which the cooling system of one has been damaged. Now there are really only 2 options left. The first tank breaks. Approximately 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of extremely dangerous chemicals were spilled in the parking lot and surrounding areas. Or the second one, in which excessive heat is generated in the tank and it bursts, due to which the tanks around it which are filled with chemicals are also affected.

New team formed

Covey said it was not clear how widespread or dangerous the eruption could be and how long it would take for it to occur. “We want to be prepared for the worst, but hopefully the situation will get better,” he said. He said that a team has been formed which will think in a new way and will consult with experts from across the country to find solutions to reduce the pressure and risk of the affected tanks of the county.

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