The containment of 150,000 people called upon not to leave their homes due to a toxic cloud in chlorine, in Catalonia, in northeast Spain, was lifted on Saturday shortly after 12:15, announced the Minister of the Interior of Catalonia, Núria Parlon. At dawn, the inhabitants of five municipalities located between Barcelona and Tarragona had been called upon to confine themselves, due to the toxic cloud caused by a fire in an industrial deposit storing pool products.
Mme Paron, however, asked vulnerable people, children and those who practice a sport not to go out for precaution yet. Previously, the authorities had asked the inhabitants to stay at home, windows and closed doors, while roads and stations were closed to avoid any trip to this area.
Likewise, the firefighters called on the population to remain vigilant, because depending on the winds and the movement of the toxic cloud which has not yet completely dissipated, they could request new confinements in limited areas.
The water used by firefighters reacted chemically with chlorine
“No injuries were reported”communicated the firefighters on the social network X, which mobilized major means to extinguish the fire which declared itself at dawn in an industrial warehouse of the municipality of Vilanova I La Geltru, and the water used by the firefighters reacted chemically with the chlorine, which generated the toxic cloud, explained the mayor of Vilanova, Juan Luis Ruiz López.
The firefighters said they had controlled the fire, but worked in “Monitoring the cloud generated by fire to follow its evolution and toxicity levels”. “Chlorine rarely ignites, but when it burns, it is very difficult to turn off”said the owner of the industrial deposit, Jorge Viñuales Alonso, on the radio.
Source: Lemonde