Yazoo City, Miss. An explosion at a hydrogen and nitrogen products plant in Mississippi on Wednesday caused an ammonia leak and forced nearby residents to evacuate, officials said.
Governor of Mississippi Tate Reeves Emergency officials from around the state were responding to an anhydrous ammonia leak at a CF Industries plant north of Yazoo City, he said in a post on social media platform X.
He added that no deaths or injuries were reported.
“Thank you to all the first responders and emergency managers in Mississippi for responding quickly to the spill,” he said.
Photos and videos posted online show a large column of yellow smoke rising above the facility, which includes an ammonia plant and four nitric acid plants, among other things.
The facility is capable of storing about 48,000 tons of ammonia, although the exact amount there when the explosion occurred was not immediately clear.
There were no injuries, and “all employees and contractors on site at the time of the incident have been safely accounted for,” CF Industries said in a statement.
Andre Robinson, who lives about a half-mile (800 meters) from the facility, said he and his son were preparing to make gumbo when they heard what sounded like a sonic boom or a tree falling on his house.
“There was a loud noise and then the house shook,” he said.
When he looked outside, Robinson said he saw smoke coming from the facility and began to smell a strong odor of ammonia.
“We’re used to the smell of ammonia, but it’s not that bad,” he said, adding that his family has since been evacuated to Jackson.
A portion of U.S. Route 49E is temporarily closed, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
“Air monitoring operations are ongoing and will continue as long as necessary to ensure public safety,” the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said in a post on X.
Anhydrous ammonia is used as a fertilizer to help provide nitrogen to corn and wheat plants, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. If someone touches it when it is in a gaseous or liquid state, they may get burned.
Yazoo City is a small community located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Jackson.