Ben Pawlowski
MORE than 160,000 residents in Catalunya were told to stay indoors over the weekend after a fire at an industrial warehouse released a toxic cloud of chlorine.
The blaze began in the early hours of Saturday morning at a warehouse storing chemical products in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a coastal city located near Sitges and one hour south of the Catalan capital, Barcelona.
The inferno, possibly caused by a lithium battery, completely destroyed the warehouse and released a toxic plume of smoke that spread to nearby areas.
The storage facility was owned by Clim Waterpool, a company specialising in cleaning products for swimming pools, and reportedly contained up to 70 tonnes of chlorine.
When released as a gas, chlorine can cause serious discomfort including eye irritation and breathing difficulties.
Residents in the municipalities of Vilanova i la Geltrú, Roquetes de Sant Pere de Ribes, Cubelles, Cunit, and Calafell were sent mobile alerts from the Civil Protection Service ordering them to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.
Roads were closed, train stations shut and outdoor activities cancelled as the harmful cloud caused widespread disruption.
The lockdown order was lifted on Saturday afternoon. However, Rosa Fonoll, the mayor of Cubelles, urged residents to continue to exercise caution, especially if the wind direction appeared to change.
Firefighters have since successfully brought the blaze under control.
Catalunya’s emergency health unit (SEM) treated three individuals for exposure to the toxic cloud. None of the patients were in a critical condition.
