TULSA, Okla — Mandatory evacuation orders have been extended to homeowners living near the ONEOK gas plant in Medford.
An explosion happened at the plant around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Authorities began advising Medford residents within a 2-mile radius that live south of Highway 11 need to leave their location. At this time, there is no set return date or time for evacuees to return.
Later the evacuation zone reduced to a one-mile radius set up by the Grant County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office is also asking to avoid any travel into or through Medford on U.S. Highway 81.
Multiple safe places have been designated for anyone that has to leave their residence:
- Bethel Hawley Baptist Church, 24078 County Rd 800, Nash, OK
- Wakita Fire Department, 116 Main St, Wakita, OK
- Medford Public School, 301 N Main St, Medford, OK
- Pond Creek Fairgrounds Building, 412 6th St, Pond Creek, OK
The Manager of Communications for ONEOK, Brad Borror, said in a statement:
"ONEOK personnel continue to prioritize the safety of our employees and the community as we focus on-site response and damage assessment at our Medford natural gas liquids fractionation facility. The evacuation order issued yesterday has been extended to 6 p.m. today to assist in these response efforts. We also continue to cooperate fully with emergency responders and government authorities as we evaluate damage at the facility and work to get families impacted by the evacuation order back into their homes."
ONEOK has made arrangements for any Medford residents that were displaced due to this incident.
The hotels in Enid are Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Springhill Suites, LaQuinta, and Baymont
This is a developing story, we will update as more information becomes available.
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