Officials ordered tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes in southern California on Friday (May 22) due to a failing chemical tank that was likely to either leak or explode, possibly releasing toxic vapour into the air, first responders said. Craig Covey, division chief of the Orange County Fire, said there were two options remaining, either that the tank would fail and spill up to 7,000 gallons (26,500 litres) of toxic chemicals, or that it would explode and endanger neighbouring tanks. The malfunctioning tank contained methyl methacrylate, a flammable, volatile chemical used in plastics and manufacturing at an aerospace plant, the Orange County Register reported. The situation, which began on Thursday (May 21), unfolded in Garden Grove, a city of about 172,000 people some 30 miles (50 km) south of Los Angeles. Officials established three evacuation shelters, one in Garden Grove and one each in the neighbouring cities of Anaheim and Cypress.
California Chemical Leak LIVE Updates | Aerial View of California Plant With Failing Chemical Tank
