Toxic Cloud Forces 160,000 Spaniards to Stay Inside after Fire
Around 160,000 people in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region were warned to stay inside on Saturday after a fire at an industrial estate caused a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area, emergency services said.
The blaze at a swimming pool cleaning products company started at 2.20 a.m. (0020 GMT) in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town 48 kilometers (30 miles) south of Barcelona and caused a huge plume of chlorine smoke over the area.
"If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work," the Civil Protection service said on social media site X.
No one has been hurt in the fire, Catalan emergency services said on Saturday, but residents in five towns were sent a message on their mobile phones telling them to remain inside.
"It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire but when it does so it is very hard to put it out," the owner of the industrial property, Jorge Vinuales Alonso, told local radio station Rac1.
He said the cause of the fire might have been a lithium battery.
Trains which were due to pass through the area were held up, roads were blocked and other events were cancelled.
The fire was under control, Civil Protection spokesperson Joan Ramon Cabello told the TVE television channel.
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The Spanish authorities have warned people in Catalonia region to stay inside after a huge fire at an industrial estate on Saturday, according to Reuters. Currently, around 160,000 Spaniards are confined at their homes due to a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area. At a swimming pool cleaning products company, the blaze started at 2:20 a.m. (0020 GMT) in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town 48 kilometres (30 miles) south of Barcelona. 'If you are in the zone that is affected, do not leave your home or your place of work,' the Civil Protection service had said on social media site X. Catalan emergency services said that there were no human causalities. However, they sent phone messages to residents in five towns urging them to stay at home. 'It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire, but when it does so it is very hard to put it out,' the owner of the industrial property, Jorge Vinuales Alonso, told local radio station Rac1. Furthermore, he noted that the reason behind the fire might be a lithium battery. The fire has disrupted trains and blocked roads. Numerous events were also cancelled. Related Topics: 5.4-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts West Texas Region Saudi Arabia, Spain Seek to Deepen Bilateral Relations California Wildfires: What We Know So Far ? Short link : Post Views: 117 Related Stories
