Explosion, Ammonia Leak At Food Manufacturing Plant

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL — An explosion at at a warehouse in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village caused an evacuation and road closure Friday Morning. Elk Grove Village Police confirmed an explosion took place in the 1200 block of Tonne Road in the 1200 block of Tonne Road at 7:15 a.m.

At 7:45 a.m., fire officials issued a level two hazmat alert for an ammonia leak and industrial fire at the warehouse and food manufacturing plant of Grecian Delight at 1201 Tonne Rd.

Tonne Road remained closed from Touhy to Landmeir late Friday morning.

Images from traffic helicopters showed several streets blocked nearby and flooding in the parking lot.

Parking lot flooded, several streets blocked near food service business- 1200 block of Tonne Rd pic.twitter.com/pm7rKl1dKT
— WGN-TV Traffic (@WGNtraffic) July 7, 2017

#ElkGroveVillage - huge emergency response for ammonia leak on Tonne north of Touhy. Fire & explosion reported. Evacuations underway as well pic.twitter.com/XFKuTGhXas
— Jeanette Hudson (@JHudsontraffic) July 7, 2017

The owner of an auto parts store across the street told WBBM the explosion blew off part of the front of the Grecian Delights warehouse. He said the entire neighborhood was being evacuated because of the risk from the apparent ammonia leak.

The explosion was powerful enough to shake nearby homes, residents told WGN. Fire officials said the explosion was likely caused by the ignition of ammonia gas and the flooding by break in a water main. They now believe the ammonia leak has been contained.

Two people have been hospitalized from the incident. A woman who worked at the food plant suffered non-life-threatening burns to her face, and a man on the hazmat team was taken to the hospital for exhaustion, WLS reported.

"Periodically there is a foul odor coming from that place in the middle of the night where I need to close my windows," one neighbor told the ABC affiliate.

The Elk Grove Village Fire Chief confirmed an ammonia leak had taken place and construction was under way at the time of the explosion, but an exact cause of the incident was not immediately established.

{HASMAT SITUTATION] If you detect an ammonia odor, dial 911 and seek an area west of the incident to encounter cleaner air.
— Elk Grove Village IL (@EGVBusinessPark) July 7, 2017

Top photo: Grecian Delight Warehouse on Tonne Road in Elk Grove Village | Street View