574.080. Causing catastrophe — definitions — penalty.
1. A person commits the offense of causing catastrophe if he or she knowingly causes a catastrophe by explosion, fire, flood, collapse of a building, release of poison, radioactive material, bacteria, virus or other dangerous and difficult to confine force or substance.
2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
- “Catastrophe”, death or serious physical injury to ten or more people or substantial damage to five or more buildings or inhabitable structures or substantial damage to a vital public facility which seriously impairs its usefulness or operation;
- “Vital public facility”, includes a facility maintained for use as a bridge, whether over land or water, dam, reservoir, tunnel, communication installation or power station.
3. The offense of causing catastrophe is a class A felony.
