574.080. Causing catastrophe — definitions — penalty.
It’s a class A felony to cause a major disaster that harms people or critical infrastructure.
This law makes it a very serious crime to knowingly cause a disaster like an explosion, fire, or chemical release that results in major injuries, deaths, or serious damage to buildings or public facilities.
1. A person commits causing catastrophe if they knowingly cause a catastrophe by:
- Explosion
- Fire
- Flood
- Collapse of a building
- Release of poison, radioactive material, bacteria, virus, or any other dangerous and hard-to-control force or substance
2. Definitions used in this section:
- Catastrophe: An event that results in:
- Death or serious injury to 10 or more people,
- Major damage to 5 or more buildings or livable structures, or
- Serious harm to a vital public facility that disrupts its operation.
- Vital public facility: Places like bridges, dams, tunnels, reservoirs, communication sites, or power stations.
3. Causing a catastrophe is a class A felony.
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