This Picture From The Beach Park Ammonia Leak Looks Like It's Straight Out Of A Horror Movie

FOX 32 - Officials have cleared a chemical spill that hospitalized at least 37 people, including three police officers and 11 firefighters, and prompted school closures Thursday in north suburban Beach Park.

Authorities were called at 4:25 a.m. for reports of a possible vehicle fire near North Green Bay Road and 29th Street, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Sgt. Christopher Covelli. A responding sergeant and deputy arrived to see a what appeared to be cloud of smoke and “were overcome by an airborne chemical” when they got out of their vehicle.

Further investigation revealed that a truck had been towing containers of anhydrous ammonia when the chemical began to leak onto the road, causing “toxic plumes” of it to be released into the air, Covelli said. No actual fire had occurred.

When this story broke I knew that it wasn’t good, but I had no clue that it was this serious. I obviously knew inhaling ammonia wasn’t good for you, but to see the streets/town absolutely engulfed in the fumes is pretty damn scary. I mean it legitimately looks like the set for that Johnny Depp movie “Sleepy Hollow” out there.

Let’s hope that the 37 people (which includes a good number of first responders) are going to be okay as a report I’ve seen today said that some of them are in critical condition.

There’s no word on what caused the leak yet, but I’ll have more as the story continues to update.