A lightning struck on Friday a chemical plant`s storage tank in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, forcing an evacuation, road closures and a shutdown of marine traffic on the Mississippi River.

The strike, which happened around 1:30 p.m. local time (1830 GMT) at the Sun Drilling Co., sparked a fire that sent hazardous smoke over the surrounding areas, according to reports on the website of NOLA.COM.

Firefighters and state police hazardous materials personnel called for mandatory evacuation of the areas as a precautionary measure at about 5 p.m. local time (2200 GMT), and the fire was put out by firefighters later Friday, but nearby government offices and homes remained evacuated, the reports said.

Belle Chasse, located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, is part of the Greater New Orleans Metropolitan area, and has a population of 9,848 at the 

Source: ANTARA