The accident this Tuesday on the outskirts of the city of Tucson closed a state highway and forced residents not to leave their homes or avoid being in that territory until the spill of the chemical substance is controlled.
In turn, authorities urged residents to turn off heaters and air conditioning systems that draw in outside air. “The public should avoid the area and motorists should seek an alternative route,” emphasized a statement released by the CNN channel.
The truck driver died in the accident, the department said without identifying the person. While the teams tried to remove the cargo from the commercial vehicle, the gasification occurred, the television station said.
The spill was along Interstate 10, which remains closed in both directions between Kolb and Rita roads in Tucson. The incident gave rise to evacuation orders that were lifted on Tuesday night, but also reinstated on this day.
Nitric acid is a colorless liquid, has yellow or red vapors and a pungent odor, and exposure to it can cause eye, skin and mucous membrane irritation, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The spill occurred after a train derailment near the city of East Palestine, Ohio, earlier this week caused the cars to catch fire and release dangerous chemicals into the air, The Hill newspaper recalled.
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