An emergency shelter-in-place was issued, then dropped, and then re-issued on Wednesday for nearby residents in Tucson after a truck carrying nitric acid overturned on Feb. 14, killing the driver and triggering a hazmat warning.

Residents were warned to avoid the area and seek alternate routs of travel, while anyone within a one-mile perimeter of the incident has been instructed to turn off air conditioning and heaters in order to avoid bringing in outside air.

As Mimi Nguyen Ly of the The Epoch Times notes further,

Following a crash, a commercial truck tanker overturned on the Interstate 10 highway eastbound between Rita and Kolb roads, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

“The tanker involved in this collision was hauling nitric acid in liquid form,” the Arizona DPS announced on Twitter of the HAZMAT spill.

Footage of the crash posted on Twitter showed reddish-orange mist emanating from an overturned truck tanker. The post was accompanied by a message: “be safe everyone, don’t [breathe] this in.”

Liquid nitric acid is a highly corrosive substance, described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a “colorless liquid with yellow or red fumes with an acrid odor.”

In vapor or mist form, it can cause burning sensations to the eyes, nose, skin, and lungs. Exposure to high concentrations of this can cause pneumonitis, bronchitis, and/or pulmonary edema, which can be fatal. These symptoms can be delayed from 4 to 30 hours after exposure. Furthermore, teeth can erode when exposed to the vapor or mist form of nitric acid.

Shelter in Place Alert Issued

The Arizona Department of Transport (DOT) announced the crash around 3 p.m. local time. By 5:09 p.m., the Arizona DPS said the tanker was leaking hazardous material.

“Interstate 10 remains closed in both directions between Rita and Kolb roads in Tucson,” per the Arizona DPS. “Motorists should continue to avoid the area and seek an alternate route.” The DPS added in a Twitter post: “We anticipate an extensive closure. Please avoid the area.”

Meanwhile, the Arizona DOT said that there is “no estimated time to reopen the road.”

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