Saturday Morning update:
A drive down Ballyhoo to Kloosterboer early Saturday morning shows the road to be open. A fire truck is spraying water on the Excellence, the ship with the ammonia leak. A police officer said any information would have to come from the Coast Guard, who is in charge of the press releases. Access to the area was denied to the reporter, “as it’s private property.”
At least two medevac jets were seen leaving the Dutch Harbor airport Friday. The first carried two employees of a local welding company who were the first casualties of the ammonia leak. One is reportedly in serious condition, the other lightly affected by the ammonia. A second LifeMed Alaska jet took off around 3 pm. Rumors that the airport was closed were not true, although a cloud of the gas drifted over the facility late in the afternoon. More information will be available later Saturday morning.
From Friday, 4:30 pm:
An ammonia leak aboard a vessel docked at Kloosterboer has shut down the plant. Sources reported the leak was discovered early Friday morning. Around noon Friday employees were evacuated and told to walk toward the city dock. This is a breaking story and information will be posted as it becomes available. Firetrucks and ambulances are on the scene.
