California: California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Orange County on Saturday as authorities continued responding to a hazardous chemical incident at an aerospace facility in Garden Grove.

According to Anadolu Agency, Newsom announced via a statement on the US social media company X that state agencies had been mobilized for more than 24 hours to assist local authorities and ensure public safety as emergency operations proceeded.

The emergency declaration was prompted by concerns over a tank at the GKN Aerospace facility that contained an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, a hazardous industrial chemical. Authorities reported that the tank had begun overheating, releasing toxic gases.

Newsom cautioned that despite ongoing response efforts, there was still a risk of a 'catastrophic failure' leading to an uncontrolled release of dangerous chemicals. He noted that local authorities lacked the necessary resources to manage an incident of such magnitude, which necessitated the state-level emergency declaration.

He further stated that the California National Guard might be deployed to support emergency response and relief operations if needed.

US media reports indicated that several schools in the vicinity were closed, and parts of major roads were shut down due to the incident. Evacuation orders were issued for more than 44,000 residents on Friday following the emergence of the chemical leak risk.