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Authorities Tell People To Stay Inside Following Chemical Spill In Kansas

ATCHISON, Kan. (CNN) — A chemical spill in Atchison, Kansas, on Friday sent a plume of fog into the air and spurred warnings from officials. On social med...
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ATCHISON, Kan. (CNN) — A chemical spill in Atchison, Kansas, on Friday sent a plume of fog into the air and spurred warnings from officials.

On social media, emergency officials told residents to seek shelter and stay inside.

“If you are not in Atchison, please stay out of town,” Atchison County Emergency Management said on Facebook.

The spill occurred at MGP Ingredients, officials said. Headquartered in Atchison, MGP describes itself as a company where distilled alcohol products and food ingredients are produced.

Atchison is located in northeast Kansas, about 20 miles from Leavenworth and 40 miles from Kansas City.

Authorities have not released details about what kind of chemical leaked.

On Facebook, the city advised residents that two chemicals had been inadvertently mixed together, causing a reaction.

“The gas is now dissipating and the situation is improving,” the city said.

Students and faculty from Benedictine College evacuated when officials got word of the leak, spokesman Steve Johnson told CNN.

“We used our athletic buses and people carpooled in their personal vehicles,” Johnson said, estimating that a couple thousand people were among those who had evacuated to a state park northwest of the city.

So far, Johnson said, no students have reported feeling sick as a result of the leak.

Alec Convery said he was in drawing class at the school when teachers told them to evacuate. He drove with his brother and a friend to St. Joseph Missouri, about 20 miles away.

“On the way out, we could see a huge cloud of what looked like fog. At first I was very scared and didn’t know what to do, but now I am more relaxed,” he said.

Citing Atchison’s city manager, CNN affiliate KMBC reported that the leak had been mitigated.

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