40,000 people remain evacuated while crews put themselves ‘in harm’s way’ to try to avert disaster, official says.

Authorities in Southern California are bracing for the possibility that a volatile chemical tank could either rupture or explode, as emergency crews worked through the night on what officials described as an unprecedented hazmat crisis that has forced an estimated 40,

Evacuation orders were issued to 40,000 Orange County residents. A fire official said a major spill or an explosion were the only expected outcomes.

An investigation started into the cause of the accidental detonation of a tank shell that killed three Ground Self-Defense Force members and raised concerns about Japan’s defense capabilities.