The smoke was so great that it was caught on the meteorological radar
The explosion in the plant of the chemical industry factory in the northern part of the American state of Illinois caused a big fire today, after which thick, black smoke started to billow, so people were evacuated.
Rescue services rushed to the site of the explosion this morning at 7:30 a.m. local time, in Rockton, northwest of Chicago, to the company “Kemtul”, which makes industrial lubricants, products from grease and stale liquids, the AP reported.
The smoke was so great that it was caught on the meteorological radar, so at 8.46, the Rockton police had to declare a state of emergency, ordering to follow the advice of the firefighters to evacuate everyone who lives or works near the factory.
Rokton’s planning and development administrator, Trisha Diduk, said that it was estimated that about 1,000 people had to be evacuated and that the area around the city center, which is less than two kilometers from the factory, was also evacuated.
There were no reports of injuries, and Kemtul said “everyone on the scene is safe”.
Rockton is located in Vinebago County, near the state of Wisconsin, about 153 kilometers northwest of Chicago.