FESTUS, Mo. — A wire service reports that a leak in a railroad car at a chemical plant on Wednesday sent a yellowish cloud of chlorine gas spewing into the air in a rural area of eastern Missouri, and residents and businesses in the immediate area were evacuated, police said.
A spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department said the spill occurred at DPC Enterprises, a chemical distribution and production company about 35 miles south of St. Louis.
There were no injuries that the company was aware of and all 12 employees at the plant were evacuated immediately, a DPC Enterprises spokeswoman said. But news reports said some people with breathing problems were taken to a hospital.
Interstate 55, a major Midwest highway, was closed near the accident site, according to a spokeswoman from the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Chlorine is commonly used to disinfect drinking water. Chlorine vapors can irritate the lungs and pose a serious risk to people who suffer from asthma and other lung problems.