Ammonia leak prompts evacuation in Morris

A leaking farm tank prompted the evacuation of a couple of hundred people in the central Minnesota town of Morris overnight.

Police chief Jim Beauregard said the incident started about 10 p.m. when a farmer was working with an anhydrous ammonia tank in a field just outside of town. A hose on the tank apparently broke, letting the contents of the tank slowly leak out.

Authorities evacuated homes on the north side of town as a precaution. The police chief said there was virtually no wind, so the chemical cloud stayed on the ground.

"Somewhere between 250 and 500 people needed to be evacuated last night," Beauregard said. "[We] set up some emergency temporary shelters. They were there until about 12:30 last night."

No one was injured, and students at the University of Minnesota campus in Morris were advised of the situation by the school. Authorities plan to investigate the leak further today.