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TOLEDO, Ohio — <\/span>A chemical tank exploded in Toledo, Ohio, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes or shelter in place due to fears of a toxic release, and the mayor warned Wednesday that it may still be explosive.<\/p>\n A sheriff’s deputy was injured when he responded to the explosion around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Wednesday morning. Kapszukiewicz provided no information about the deputy’s condition. <\/p>\n MC Tank Transport said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as \u201can industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical and it has potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive,\u201d the mayor said, adding that the can hold 5,500 gallons of the chemical in liquid form. He said officials don\u2019t know what caused the explosion. <\/p>\n People who come into contact with glycidyl methacrylate may feel as if their eyes, nose, mouth and skin are burning, the city fire department said. Overexposure can lead to headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,\u201d Karim Baroudi, director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, said during the mayor’s news conference. \u201cNow we\u2019re trying to kind of determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that the people are breathing so we can give better guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n Baroudi advised residents to close their windows and that those who \u201cfeel irritation in the eyes, heavily breathing, just take a shower for now.\u201d The fire department said those who experience symptoms should contact a medical professional.<\/p>\n First responders, hazmat and safety teams are not approaching the tank because of the risk of more explosions, and will reassess conditions later Wednesday morning, Kapszukiewicz said. <\/p>\n The city ordered people within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the explosion to evacuate their homes and businesses Tuesday night. More than 900 people live within the evacuation zone, and all of them had left by Wednesday morning, the mayor said. A shelter-in-place order was issued for residents beyond the evacuation zone within a 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) radius. <\/p>\n It was very foggy early Wednesday in the city of about 265,000 people, hindering visibility and delaying efforts to use drones to monitor the site. Kapszukiewicz reassured residents outside the evacuation zone that the fog was unrelated to the chemical explosion. The National Weather Service said the fog was expected to lift by mid-morning.<\/p>\n Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said in a statement the company is working with the fire department and other emergency authorities. <\/p>\n \u201cOur immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees,\u201d it said. \u201cOur immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n