Photo: Kelsey Childress/WSET
4:00 pm Update:
At least 62 people were evacuated and four taken to a hospital after a chemical mishap created a chlorine gas cloud at a wastewater treatment plant in the Town of Bedford on Friday.
Those evacuated included 16 people in the immediate area of the plant, as well as 46 residents who were nearby. Seven businesses were also evacuated.
Earlier:
BEDFORD, Va. (WSET) — Authorities in the Town of Bedford are asking people to call 911 if they experience shortness of breath after a dangerous chemical hazard at the Bedford Wastewater Treatment Plant on Orange Street in Bedford this morning.
Two chemicals were mixed, creating a large amount of chlorine gas at about 7:40 a.m., a Bedford County spokesperson said.
Health officials are monitoring the air quality in the area.
About 15 people were evacuated from the immediate scene of the emergency, and others have received medical treatment, though officials did not say exactly how many people have been treated or exactly how wide of an area might be considered dangerous.
During a news conference with reporters shortly before noon, authorities said they knew of nobody in critical condition.
The inadvertent mixture of the chemicals created a plume of chlorine gas, officials said.
Officials said a tanker brought chemicals typically used for wastewater treatment when the accidental mixture with another chemical happened.
People are advised to avoid the area near the wastewater treatment plant on Orange St.
More on this story from our media partner, ABC 13 - WSET.