Residents were ordered to shelter in place and turn off air conditioning units after a massive explosion at a chemical plant in Shepherd, Texas on Wednesday.
Highway 59 was closed due to the explosion.
“At this time, the effects of the chemical in the air are unknown,” Polk County officials said, according to NBC News.
It is unclear what caused the explosion.
WATCH:
BREAKING: Massive explosion at a chemical plant in Shepherd, Texas, residents ordered to shelter pic.twitter.com/7csSMETw7S
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 8, 2023
NBC News reported:
An explosion has triggered a large fire at a chemical plant in Shepherd, Texas, sending massive plumes of black smoke into the sky.
The “plant explosion” and following chemical fire unfolded Wednesday morning, the San Jacinto County Office of Emergency Management said.
The blaze prompted the evacuation of a private school on Farm-to-Market Road 1127 and officials to issue a five-mile shelter-in-place warning.
The Precinct 2 Constable of San Jacinto County said the impacted building was a petroleum processing plant.
Highway 59 is closed due the explosion and locals are urged to use alternate routes.
More from Fox 26 Houston:
