Latest news with #JorgeVinualesAlonso
Wales Online
11-05-2025
- Wales Online
Foreign Office updates advice for European country as 'toxic' gas forces people indoors
Foreign Office updates advice for European country as 'toxic' gas forces people indoors People in the area have been urged to remain alert Travel advice has changed (Image:) The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for a popular European tourism destination. A warning has been issued for those visiting or travelling to the Catalonia region of Spain. It follows a warehouse fire near Barcelona. The warning was issued on May 10 and is still in place today on May 11. It states: "An industrial warehouse fire in Catalonia has resulted in a chlorine gas cloud over parts of the region south of Barcelona. If you are in the area you should follow the advice of authorities and monitor local updates, including staying indoors and keeping doors and windows closed." Spanish authorities previously told more than 160,000 people near Barcelona to stay indoors, The Guardian reports. The fire happened in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltrú, south of Barcelona. It started early on Saturday morning in a warehouse that stores pool cleaning products, the regional fire service said. 'If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work,' the Civil Protection Service shared on social media. It advised people to keep doors and windows closed in at-risk areas, which includes five local districts along the coast, from Vilanova i la Geltrú to the village of Calafell, near Tarragona. Article continues below No casualties had been reported so far, the fire service shared on X. It added that it had deployed a large number of units to bring the fire under control. It said it was 'monitoring the column [of gas] caused by the blaze for changes and for its toxic levels." The fire led to a number of road closures in the area as well as shut train stations to prevent people travelling in and to the affected area. Authorities had told people in the affected zone to stay at home and hours later lifted the order. Firefighters urged residents to remain alert, saying that new shelter-in-place orders might be announced in specific areas, depending on the winds and the movement of the toxic cloud. The warehouse owner Jorge Vinuales Alonso told local radio station Rac1: 'It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire but when it does so it is very hard to put it out." Article continues below He said the fire may have been caused by a lithium battery. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here .
Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Order to confine 160,000 Spaniards, due to toxic chlorine cloud near Barcelona, lifted
After issuing orders to restrict more than 160,000 people indoors in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region due to a fire at an industrial warehouse which released a toxic cloud of chlorine, the regional government lifted the order on Saturday in a major relief for the residents. The fire started in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltrú, south of Barcelona at a swimming pool cleaning products company at 2:20am (local time) on Saturday, and caused a thick plume of chlorine clouds over the area. Authorities immediately sprung into action and urged the residents in the affected zone to stay indoors, but hours later lifted the restricting order. The Civil Protection Service in a post on X said 'If you are in the zone that is affected, do not leave your home or your place of work.' The service advised the citizens to close the doors and windows in the risk zone, which stretched across five towns along the coast, from Vilanova i la Geltrú to the village of Calafell, near Tarragona. Over 160,000 Catalonia residents told to remain indoors due to a toxic chlorine cloud from a depot fire. Authorities continue to monitor toxicity levels. — The Brussels Times (@BrusselsTimes) May 11, 2025 The Catalan emergency services onSaturday said that no one was hurt in the fire, but residents in at least five towns were informed via message on their respective mobile phones to stay indoors due to the toxic cloud of chlorine. Jorge Vinuales Alonso, owner of the industrial property, told local radio station Rac1 that 'It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire, but when it does so it is very hard to put it out,' Reuters reported. Alonso further said that the cause of the fire in the warehouse could have been a lithium battery. Among the other precautionary measures, trains which were due to be passed from the affected area were halted, roads leading to the region were blocked by the administration and other events which were planned remained cancelled. Civil Protection spokesperson Joan Ramon Cabello, in a statement to local media said that fire was under control.
Leaders
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Leaders
160,000 Spaniards Confined after Fire's Toxic Cloud
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
Dubai Eye
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Dubai Eye
Restrictions lifted after 160,000 Spaniards confined due to toxic cloud
An order was lifted on Saturday to confine around 160,000 people in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region after a fire at an industrial estate caused a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area, the regional government said. The blaze at a swimming pool cleaning products company started at 2:20 am (0020 GMT) in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town 48 km south of Barcelona and caused a huge plume of chlorine smoke over the area. Authorities had told people in the affected zone to stay at home, but hours later lifted the order. "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. 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.
ARN News Center
10-05-2025
- Climate
- ARN News Center
Restrictions lifted after 160,000 Spaniards confined due to toxic cloud
An order was lifted on Saturday to confine around 160,000 people in Spain's northeastern Catalonia region after a fire at an industrial estate caused a toxic cloud of chlorine over a wide area, the regional government said. The blaze at a swimming pool cleaning products company started at 2:20 am (0020 GMT) in Vilanova i la Geltru, a town 48 km south of Barcelona and caused a huge plume of chlorine smoke over the area. Authorities had told people in the affected zone to stay at home, but hours later lifted the order. "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. 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.
