A tanker truck carrying hazardous anhydrous ammonia gas ruptured in a hotel parking lot in Weatherford, Oklahoma, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes and several dozen into the hospital. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, leaving many in respiratory distress, with some requiring immediate medical attention.
The authorities swiftly sprang into action, evacuating at least 500 people who took shelter at a local community center and imposing a "shelter-in-place" order for others. However, residents were eventually given the all-clear to leave their homes on Thursday morning. The truck's driver had parked in the Holiday Inn lot before the leak, which authorities suspected was caused by a mechanical failure.
Emergency responders wore gas masks while knocking on doors, and hazmat crews were on the scene to assist. A number of agencies, including the Oklahoma National Guard, were deployed to help with the cleanup, which is expected to take several days.
"I really thought it was a dream," said one evacuee, who was still in her pajamas when she woke up to the emergency response. Authorities assured residents that air quality was being monitored and that the tanker truck had been shut down.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with industrial chemicals like anhydrous ammonia, which can cause severe burns if handled improperly. The Oklahoma-based Airgas distributor has issued a statement urging people in the area to follow instructions from authorities.
The authorities swiftly sprang into action, evacuating at least 500 people who took shelter at a local community center and imposing a "shelter-in-place" order for others. However, residents were eventually given the all-clear to leave their homes on Thursday morning. The truck's driver had parked in the Holiday Inn lot before the leak, which authorities suspected was caused by a mechanical failure.
Emergency responders wore gas masks while knocking on doors, and hazmat crews were on the scene to assist. A number of agencies, including the Oklahoma National Guard, were deployed to help with the cleanup, which is expected to take several days.
"I really thought it was a dream," said one evacuee, who was still in her pajamas when she woke up to the emergency response. Authorities assured residents that air quality was being monitored and that the tanker truck had been shut down.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with industrial chemicals like anhydrous ammonia, which can cause severe burns if handled improperly. The Oklahoma-based Airgas distributor has issued a statement urging people in the area to follow instructions from authorities.
. I mean I know accidents happen but this one was just so close to home...my kids would've been right there with all those families evacuated from their homes. It's crazy how quickly the situation escalated and how fast everyone sprang into action though. I do hope that family gets a lot of support from the community and the government 
. As a parent, it's hard not to worry about these kinds of situations happening to your own kids...it's always on our minds, isn't it? 
... I mean, one minute you're chillin' at home and the next your whole neighborhood is like "evacuate now" 
... gotta give it to them though, authorities sprang into action fast 
... the whole thing was handled pretty quickly considering how hazardous that gas is 
... hope everyone who got affected gets back on their feet soon 
what if it was during test week or midterms 
i wish they had a better way to clean up the mess tho, all these days are gonna be wasted 
and yeah, its crazy how somethin as simple as a truck accident can cause so much trouble 
The cleanup is goin' on for days and I hope it gets done ASAP so people can get their lives back to normal 
and the fact that the driver parked in a hotel parking lot like, what were they thinkin?!? 
anyway glad nobody died and all but this just shows how serious it is to handle chemicals rn... 
The fact that people had to flee their homes just because of a leak from a truck is just wild... I hope everyone's okay, though. Those emergency responders must've been super brave 
. And on the bright side, at least they're being cautious and shutting down the area until it's safe again 
. Authorities did a great job responding quickly, but poor guy who parked that truck didn't expect it to happen 
We gotta stay vigilant when it comes to hazardous materials #RespiratoryHealthMatters #IndustrialAccidentsHappen #StaySafe #WeatherfordOK
. I guess it's a good thing the air quality was being monitored or who knows what would've happened? 
. And what about the people who weren't evacuated right away? Are they just being left behind? This whole thing is giving me major "what-ifs" 
they were so brave and careful. I mean, can u imagine having to wear gas masks when u're trying to knock on doors at night 
just heard about this tanker truck incident in Weatherford, OK and it's really worrying... all those people having to evacuate their homes because of some mechanical failure on the truck 
. I mean, can you imagine being woken up in the middle of the night by emergency responders telling you to pack a bag and get out? 
it's not just the fact that they had to leave their homes, but also the stress of not knowing when they could return. 
the gov's got to make sure those hazmat crews are equipped for these kinds of emergencies btw air quality monitoring is key here. can't let ppl be caught off guard like that...anyway i'm just glad no major injuries reported 
I'm just glad no one was killed, but seriously how does this happen? 
that's what happened to one evacuee! 
anyway, I'm just glad the cleanup is taking priority and ppl are being kept informed 
I cant even imagine bein in that situation!!! One minute ur chillin in ur hotel parking lot and the next u gotta evacuate cuz some tanker truck leaks gas all over the place 
. How scary is that? 
. It's crazy they had to evacuate hundreds of people, some were even breathin' bad due to that gas. Glad the authorities sprang into action quick smart tho 
. These things happen, sadly we gotta be prepared for 'em