|
. | . |
|
by Staff Writers Barcelona (AFP) Feb 12, 2015 A chemical accident at a factory in Spain on Thursday injured three people and cloaked large swathes of the region in an orange chemical cloud, forcing over 60,000 people to stay indoors before it disappeared. The "explosion or chemical reaction" happened when products being "loaded or unloaded" at a factory owned by Simar at an industrial zone in the northeastern town of Igualda became mixed, a spokeswoman for Catalonia's firefighters said. Local officials ordered around 64,500 people in Igualda, about 70 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of Barcelona, and four other towns to remain indoors with their windows shut. About 60 firefighters wearing protective clothing spread out across the region to order local residents to return home. The general warning was lifted about an hour later but maintained for another three hours for pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems. A huge bright orange cloud was caught on camera by local residents who distributed their photos and videos on social media sites. The cloud may have been caused by a reaction between nitric acid, which is corrosive and toxic, and ferric chloride and another chemical which still has not been identified, the regional Catalan government said in a statement. Two employees who were transporting chemicals were lightly burned and a worker at the Simar plant was also injured, the statement added.
Related Links Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up
|
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service. |