- Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency due to the risk of a chemical explosion.
- This move gave California the opportunity to ask Washington for federal aid.
- Flammable methyl methacrylate is leaking from a tank in Garden Grove.
- Approximately 40,000 residents were ordered to leave their homes immediately.
- The temperature in the tank has risen significantly and the emergency teams are fighting against the explosion.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County due to the risk of an explosion at a tank leaking a toxic chemical. The move allows California to ask Washington for federal aid. TASR informs about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
Local authorities have been trying to contain a tanker explosion Thursday afternoon at the Garden Grove site of GKN Aerospace, which makes plastic parts for commercial and military aircraft. The flammable and toxic chemical methyl methacrylate began to leak from the tank with a volume of almost 130,000 liters, and its contents subsequently began to overheat.
Around 40,000 people were ordered to leave their homes on Saturday due to the threat of an explosion. According to media reports, the risk of a massive spill or explosion has not yet been mitigated.
Orange County Fire Department spokesman Craig Covey he also said that earlier reports that the contents of the tank had cooled, reducing the risk of an explosion, had been proven wrong. He added that firefighters subsequently discovered that the temperature had in fact risen significantly. According to his words the emergency team continues to try to prevent the explosion.
