(Reuters) - City and county officials advised residents in the town of Atchison, Kansas, on Friday to stay indoors after an unknown chemical was spilled at a facility in the town.
"There has been an incident. Until further notice, close all your windows, turn off your air and furnaces, and stay indoors," the city of Atchison said in a statement on social media.
City officials could not be reached for further comment. It was unclear what type of chemical was spilled.
The city's post said the incident occurred at "MGP," without giving further details, but MGP Ingredients, a supplier of distilled spirits and specialty wheat protein and starches, is located in the town, according to the company's website.
The company could not immediately be reached for comment.
The county's emergency management division described the incident as a chemical spill in a separate post.
Susan Myers, superintendent for Atchison Public Schools, which has about 1,800 students and 700 staff members, said in a telephone interview the town's schools were being evacuated.
"They have had us move them to the airport and now they're having us move to a different location," she said of emergency officials' advice about the students.
"Area school districts are sending buses to help us. It's a moment-to-moment situation and we are moving our children to safety."
(Reporting by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago and Ben Klayman in Detroit; Editing by Bill Trott and Bernadette Baum)