Currently no active leak from failing chemical tank, California officials say

The tank, which contains a highly volatile and flammable substance, has been at risk of either a major spillage or an explosion.

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The tank, which contains thousands of gallons of methyl methacrylate - a highly volatile and flammable substance used to make plastic - has been at risk of either a major spillage or an explosion. Crews have worked through the night from Sunday into Monday to assess the risk.

Tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders as a precaution, and a state of emergency has been declared by Gavin Newsom, the state governor.

Officials are hopeful the pressure that has built up inside the tank is being gradually released by a crack that has formed - potentially avoiding a disaster.

"Continuous live atmospheric monitoring confirms there are no chemicals leaking," the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) officials wrote in a social media post on Sunday evening. They also denied any suggestion the tank had suffered more than one crack.