A major ammonia leak in Weatherford, Oklahoma, hospitalized at least 36 people, leaving 11 in critical condition and forcing 500 residents to evacuate to Southwestern Oklahoma State University’s Pioneer Event Center. The leak began around 10 pm local time from a tanker truck parked behind a Holiday Inn Express, creating a toxic gas plume that blanketed the area. Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for area residents overnight, which was lifted the next morning as the gas dissipated. Fourteen Weatherford police officers suffered exposure, with five sustaining chemical burns to their airways. Mechanical failure or a defective seal is suspected to have caused the leak, but no deaths have been reported yet. Cleanup continues and environmental impacts are being monitored, with several victims still in intensive care.
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