Vicksburg Police Department (VPD) Deputy Chief Troy Kimble has updated the status of the chemical spill cleanup at Bally’s Hotel and Casino on Warrenton Road, saying the tanker that will provide the secure transfer of the spilled chlorobenzene is delayed by approximately an hour and a half.

Kimble said those living within a 300-foot radius of the accident site have been notified to stay indoors during the transfer of the chemicals into a secure tanker that will transport the substance out of the area. Kimble added there is no evacuation notice issued and drivers may feel free to travel Warrenton Road; however, the entrances to Bally’s will be blocked off during the transfer, tentatively scheduled to last from 10:30 a.m. until approximately noon. Bally’s itself remains open and may be accessed through the entrances to Riverwalk Casino, Kimble said.

The spill took place Sunday night in a parking lot adjacent to the casino after the driver of an 18-wheeler carrying the chlorobenzene – a highly flammable solvent often used as a degreaser – unhitched his truck’s cabin and left the area, returning some time later to find the tanker on its side and leaking its contents.

Vicksburg Fire Chief Derrick Stamps said Sunday night the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) was on site overnight to aid in the clean-up effort.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.