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Toxic Chlorine Cloud Forces Confinement of Over 160,000 Residents in Catalonia

An industrial fire at a pool-products warehouse in Vilanova i la Geltrú released the cloud, prompting strict safety measures and ongoing air quality monitoring.

Espagne: 160.000 personnes confinées à cause d’un nuage toxique de chlore
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Overview

  • Authorities have confined residents in five coastal municipalities between Barcelona and Tarragona due to a toxic chlorine cloud caused by an industrial fire.
  • The fire broke out at 2:20 AM in a warehouse storing 70 tonnes of chlorine and was brought under control by firefighters by 8:00 AM.
  • No injuries have been reported, but emergency medical facilities have been set up as a precautionary measure.
  • Road and rail transport in the affected area has been suspended while officials monitor the cloud's movement and toxicity levels.
  • Chlorine is difficult to extinguish once ignited, complicating firefighting efforts, according to the warehouse owner Jorge Viñuales Alonso.