This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day:
Some Ohio residents have been ordered to evacuate because of the release of a chemical that can cause burning of the eyes, nose, mouth and skin, and other residents have been told to shelter in place, the city fire department said Wednesday.
Officials said an explosion took place on Progress Avenue in a chemical tank at MC Tank Terminal at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night. An MC Tank Terminal employee reported the incident in a 911 call and company leadership are en route, according to Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz.
The city has set up a temporary shelter in the area at Shoreland Elementary School, 5650 Suder Ave., Toledo, and in the parking lot of the Meijer at 1500 E. Alexis Rd., where Red Cross and Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA) buses are stationed to provide shelter for those in need.
People within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the “hazardous materials release” were ordered to evacuate at about 10:50 p.m. Tuesday. The shelter-in-place order was issued for Toledo residents within a 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius beyond that area.
Dense fog and haze hindered visibility in the city of about 265,000 people and local news stations reported smelling a plastic-like odor.
“The release is ongoing, and crews continue to monitor the situation,” the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department said in a statement posted online early Wednesday.
The department did not name the chemical. It said symptoms of overexposure include headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. It advised residents to contact a medical professional if they believe they are having a reaction to exposure.
So far no injuries have been reported.
“You can't tell fog from the release by looking, so please don't rely on how the air looks,” the department said in the news release. “If you are outside the evacuation or shelter-in-place zones and smell an unusual odor, please stay indoors, close windows and doors and turn off ventilation that draws in outside air.”
Some schools were closed Wednesday and others delayed opening.
One elementary school was opened to provide temporary shelter and buses were stationed to provide shelter as needed for residents.
