The chemical that leaked from a tanker truck in an Oklahoma city is common but dangerous, and other leaks over the years have led to evacuations and deaths.
Hundreds of people were evacuated and dozens were taken to hospitals due to an anhydrous ammonia leak from a tanker truck Wednesday night in Weatherford, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) west of Oklahoma City.
Here’s what to know about leaks and chemicals.
The truck parked outside the Holiday Inn Express in Weatherford was spewing anhydrous ammonia. The driver was stopping there to get a room for the night.
The police chief said the cause appeared to be a mechanical failure in the valve or a faulty seal. Authorities did not say how much of the chemical leaked.
Authorities said up to 600 people were staying in a shelter early Thursday. Other nearby residents were told to shelter in place, although authorities lifted that order late Thursday morning. Residents were evacuated from several nursing homes and schools were closed today.
Anhydrous ammonia is used as a fertilizer to help provide nitrogen to corn and wheat plants. If someone touches it when it is in a gaseous or liquid state, they may get burned.
More than 80% of the anhydrous ammonia produced in the United States is used for fertilizers, According to Airgas. The chemical is also used as a coolant.
An explosion in a hydrogen and nitrogen products factory in Mississippi Last week it caused an anhydrous ammonia leak and forced nearby residents to evacuate their homes.
Five people died from Exposure to the chemical After a tanker truck accident in Illinois in 2023, about 500 people were evacuated hours after the accident. An Ohio teen told federal investigators that the truck veered off the road when it passed her in a pickup truck.
Other spills involving anhydrous ammonia have occurred in recent years Houston and Collins, Iowa.