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No deaths or injuries have been reported, he said.
“Thank you to all of Mississippi’s first responders and
emergency managers for quickly responding to the leak,” he said.
Photos and video posted online show a large plume of yellowish
smoke rising above the facility, which includes an ammonia plant
and four nitric acid plants, among other things.
The facility is able to store about 48,000 tons of ammonia,
although the exact amount there when the explosion took place
was not immediately clear.
CF Industries said in a statement that there are no injuries,
and "all employees and contractors on site at the time of the
incident have been safely accounted for."
Andre Robinson, who lives about a half-mile (800 meters) from
the facility, said he and his son were getting ready to make
gumbo when he heard what sounded like a sonic boom or a tree
crashing on his house.
“There was a boom and then the house shook,” he said.
When he looked outside, Robinson said he saw smoke rising from
the facility and started to smell a strong scent of ammonia.
“We’re used to the ammonia smell, but not that bad," he said,
adding that his family has since evacuated to Jackson.
Part of U.S. Route 49E was temporarily closed, according to the
Mississippi Department of Transportation.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality said in a
post on X that “air monitoring operations are underway and will
continue as long as necessary to ensure public safety.”
Anhydrous ammonia is used as a fertilizer to help provide
nitrogen for corn and wheat plants, according to the Minnesota
Department of Agriculture. If a person touches it when it is in
gas or liquid form, they could be burned.
Yazoo City is a small community about 50 miles (80 kilometers)
north of Jackson.
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