TOLEDO, Ohio (Diya TV) — An explosion at MC Tank Terminal in north Toledo released glycidyl methacrylate into the air Tuesday night, prompting officials to evacuate residents within one mile and order people within three miles to shelter indoors. The release continued Wednesday, and the city said both orders remained active as of 12:30 p.m.

Toledo Fire & Rescue issued the evacuation order at 10:48 p.m. Tuesday. At 4:24 a.m. Wednesday, the department added a three-mile shelter-in-place zone. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said nearly 1,000 people lived in the evacuation area. The larger zone stretches to Lake Erie and just across the Michigan border.

The tank held up to 5,500 gallons of glycidyl methacrylate, a chemical used in plastics, paints and coatings. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said an error during a transfer caused the leak, but officials have not explained what caused the explosion.

The chemical can irritate or burn the eyes, nose, mouth and skin. Overexposure can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, according to city guidance. One sheriff’s deputy who responded to the scene felt unwell and went to a hospital. Residents also reported eye and throat irritation.

Emergency crews held back from the tank because officials feared another explosion. Kapszukiewicz said the material could remain volatile for up to 12 hours after the incident. As of the city’s latest update, officials had not announced that crews had contained the release.

The EPA began air monitoring around the evacuation zone; officials said they would also test near the shelter-in-place boundary. They had not released results by the city’s 12:30 p.m. update, so the chemical’s concentration in the air remained unknown. The city said the tap-water supply was safe.

Dense fog and light winds reduced visibility across Toledo. Officials warned residents not to assume that visible haze came from the chemical, because they could not distinguish the release from fog by sight. They also said smelling an unusual odor does not necessarily mean exposure has reached a toxic level.

Toledo closed schools Wednesday and opened temporary shelter at Shoreland Elementary School. Red Cross and transit buses waited at a nearby Meijer parking lot to assist evacuees. MC Tank Transport said it was working with emergency authorities.