Tens of thousands ordered to evacuate in south California over leaking chemical tank
Key takeaways
- Authorities in southern California ordered the evacuation of 40,000 people on Friday after a huge storage tank began leaking a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts, posing the risk of an explosion.
- Issued on: 23/05/2026 - 11:11Modified: 23/05/2026 - 11:17
- By: FRANCE 24 Evacuees from an aerospace chemical plant tank leak move to another shelter after the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center closed for the night in Garden Grove, California, May 22, 2026.
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Authorities in southern California ordered the evacuation of 40,000 people on Friday after a huge storage tank began leaking a hazardous chemical used to make plastic parts, posing the risk of an explosion.
Issued on: 23/05/2026 - 11:11Modified: 23/05/2026 - 11:17
By: FRANCE 24 Evacuees from an aerospace chemical plant tank leak move to another shelter after the Garden Grove Sports and Recreation Center closed for the night in Garden Grove, California, May 22, 2026. © Ethan Swope, AP Tens of thousands of people were ordered to leave their homes in California on Friday after a huge chemical tank began to leak, sending toxic fumes over a heavily populated area and posing the risk of an explosion.