USA: California declares a state of emergency.

On May 23rd, local time, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County as authorities continued to respond to the risk of an explosion from a tank containing toxic chemicals at an aerospace plastics manufacturing facility in Garden Grove, Southern California.

According to the Orange County Fire Department, more than 44,000 people have been ordered to evacuate due to a risk from a tank containing approximately 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate – a volatile and flammable chemical used in the manufacture of plastic parts – which is leaking and showing signs of an uncontrolled thermal reaction, releasing chemical vapors into the air.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, methyl methacrylate can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Short-term or prolonged exposure to this chemical can also cause skin, eye, or lung irritation, or neurological symptoms, nausea, and dizziness.

Authorities warned that the tank could rupture, spilling thousands of gallons of toxic chemicals into the surrounding area, or explode due to thermal reaction, posing a risk of fire spreading to nearby fuel and chemical tanks.

Currently, the evacuation order has been extended to a radius of approximately 1.6 km in several areas. Officials say no casualties have been reported, while the cause of the leak is still under investigation.

RG

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/my-bang-california-ban-bo-tinh-trang-khan-cap-a486618.html