16 thousand people in the town of Apex North Carolina ( a suburb of Raleigh) have been evacuated because of  a cloud of chlorine gas spewing from an industrial fire.

A leak at the EQ (Environmental Quality) North Carolina waste management plant at 9 pm tonight spewed large plumes of the gas into the air just before the plant burst into flames around 10 pm. The explosion was loud enough and bright enough to be seen 5 miles away.

Information on the current circumstances, evacuation proceedings, centres etc. can be found here. The situation is unfolding in Wake County.

WakeMed Cary Hospital officials said that at least 106 people from Apex had been transported to their emergency room. Many were residents of a nursing home near the plant who were brought to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

A decontamination chamber was set up outside the hospital in case firefighters, residents or others came in contact with hazardous materials.

Fewer than a dozen Apex residents went to the Rex Hospital emergency room in Raleigh, complaining of respiratory difficulties, officials said.

 

 News & Observer

 

Symptoms of chlorine gas exposure 

Prolonged direct inhalation of chlorine gas could cause sickness or even death, authorities said. Chest pain, vomiting, and difficulty breathing are among the symptoms that might be experienced.

Charlotte Observer
Raleigh News Observer

Apex/Raleigh blogs:

TacJammer
Gina
JJ The Gator