USA – Ammonia leak triggers evacuations after explosion at Mississippi chemical facility

An explosion at the CF Industries chemical plant near Yazoo City, Mississippi, released anhydrous ammonia on Wednesday, prompting emergency responses and evacuations. Officials confirmed that no injuries or deaths have been reported.

Gov. Tate Reeves announced on X that multiple state agencies are responding to the leak and said early reports indicate the incident began with an explosion at the facility. He ordered residents near Renshaw Road and Generette Road to evacuate immediately and advised others in the surrounding area to remain indoors. Meanwhile, transportation officials closed both directions of U.S. Highway 49 due to the emergency.

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality stated that air monitoring continued until the area was deemed safe.

CF Industries, which primarily produces ammonia used in fertilizer, reports that the Yazoo City plant has the capacity to produce approximately 570,000 tons of ammonia per year.

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