Posted 3/31/2004 04:48:00 PM by Douglas

Sounds like a good day to be on the south side of Wellington.

Authorities evacuated the north part of the city of Wellington on Tuesday evening after an accidental release of anhydrous ammonia.

Evacuated residents stayed at Wellington High School for several hours before being allowed to go home, said Eddie Langford, a dispatcher and jailer for the Collingsworth County Sheriff's Office.

About 25 people went to Collingsworth General Hospital in Wellington for treatment of symptoms such as chest pain and difficulty breathing, said Mike Easley, hospital administrator.

He said some patients were transferred to hospitals in Shamrock and Childress because the 15-bed hospital in Wellington ran out of space.

Langford said the anhydrous ammonia was in a tank at a business. A 911 call about the release came in at 6:42 p.m., and responders were able to close a valve on the tank by 8:30 p.m., he said.

I guess it's good that the winds were from the south.