Nobody was hurt when a Viterra truck carrying anhydrous ammonia sprung a leak on the outskirts of Wilkie, Sask., Oct. 13.
The Wilkie fire department temporarily evacuated three streets in the town, fearing a poisonous cloud that had formed half a kilometre south of Wilkie could drift into the community.
“Anhydrous ammonia can be extremely deadly and it doesn’t take a lot before you can become very ill or die,” said RCMP spokesperson Carole Raymond.
However, the cloud soon dissipated and residents were back in their homes within two hours.
The truck driver sought safety after noticing the leak and wasn’t injured.
“He realized very quickly what had happened and phone calls were made immediately,” Raymond said.
Highway 14 was closed for three hours while an emergency response team flushed the road clean.
The RCMP said Viterra dispatched its own emergency response team to the site and took all necessary actions.
Raymond said officials suspect the leak may have been caused by a leaky line on the truck, but that is still under investigation.
