40,000 people receive evacuation orders due to chemical tank leak in California

Tank leak causes mass evacuation in California, USA
Around 40,000 people in California were ordered to evacuate this Friday (22) after a chemical tank leaked and was at risk of explosion.
The case occurred in Garden Grove, in Orange County, southeast of Los Angeles. The tank with a capacity of 22,700 to 26,500 liters contains methyl methacrylate, a flammable and volatile liquid used in the manufacture of plastic.
According to the AFP news agency, the tank began releasing vapors into the air at an aerospace plastics factory this Thursday (21) and left authorities on alert.
"This thing is going to fail, and we don't know when," said Craig Covey, division chief of the Fire Department of the Orange County. "We are doing our best to find out when and how we can prevent this.
"We are organizing these evacuations to prepare for both of these options: if it fails or if it blows up," he added. There are no reports of injuries or deaths.
The cause of the spill is not yet known. Authorities are working to install containment barriers to prevent any material from reaching stormwater drainage systems or river channels.
Drone shows water being sprayed into a tank following a chemical incident involving a leaking tank of a flammable liquid.
REUTERS/Caroline Brehman

Source: G1