A fire in an industrial ship that stored pools cleaning products, located in Vilanova I La Geltrú (Barcelona), has generated a large toxic cloud of chlorine and this has forced five municipalities in the Garraf and Baix Penedès regions. Civil Protection had sent this morning a mobile message to the population of the area (about 150,000 people) to ask them not to leave their homes or work sites while the chemist dissipates. The Generalitat has activated the emergency plan of the chemical sector, the PLASAQCAT and the service of the train stations located in the area has been suspended.
The affected municipalities are: Vilanova I La Geltrú, Cubelles, the Core of Roquetes, within the municipality of Sant Pere de Ribes and Cunit, Calafell (the two of the province of Tarragona). Civil Protection has asked neighbors not to open doors or windows or start the air conditioning and follow the reliable media instructions. The authorities have clarified that it is possible that many neighbors feel discomfort in the eyes and throat. It would be about 150,000 people affected by confinement and for the moment there is no person who has been admitted to hospital centers following the incident.
Firefighters still work to extinguish fire in the industrial ship, where chemicals for swimming pools were stored, in several cases with a lot of chlorine content. The works to end the fire, with 29 endowments, have generated a great toxic cloud, which is now being monitored. Depending on the wind, this situation can be aggravated or moved to other municipalities, also waiting for a possible rainfall to help dissipate it. At 9 am this Saturday, the civil protection forecast is not to lift confinement but without extending it to other municipalities.
Jorge Viñales, owner of the affected company, Cleanwater Pool, explained in an interview with RAC-1, which was informed of the fire at 2 in the morning and has possibly pointed to a lithium battery as a possible guilty of conflagration, although firefighters continue to investigate the causes. The owner has assured that his ship had all the necessary permits to operate, the security measures were in order and that stored the amount of chemical material “stipulated by the regulations.”
-“It is a very difficult product to set fire, but after starting it is very difficult to stop it,” said vineyards. “The elements that are used to turn off are multipurpose powder and the water is counterproductive, because what it does is rekindle the fire,” he added, after thanking the firefighters who managed to stop that the fire spread to surrounding ships.
“A slight smell of pool”
The mobiles of the residents of these five municipalities woke them at 5:30 in the morning, with the confinement notice. The authorities also ask citizens who plan to move there during the morning to avoid it. Rodalies has reported that the stations between Sitges and Sant Vicenç de Calders, both included, do not serve and a shuttle bus service has been launched.
To Òscar Caballero, 50 years old and neighbor of the center of Vilanova I La Geltrú, did not aroused the emergency signal of the mobile, he explained via telephone to this newspaper. His wife did it, who did feel the beep. His twin children also woke up, he explained, that the only thing they have asked is whether he had a basketball or not. “The only thing you feel is a slight smell of pool,” he described. “It feels a bit like when the pandemic, the empty street,” he continued.
In Vilanova and the Geltrú the municipal market has not been installed and the second day of the Be Live Festival has been canceled, where it was scheduled to act, among others, Nena Daconte.
