Chlorine gas cloud triggers lockdown for 160,000 people in Spain

Spanish authorities have instructed over 160,000 residents in the vicinity of Barcelona to stay indoors following a fire at an industrial warehouse that released a toxic chlorine cloud over a wide area.

The fire, which broke out on May 10 morning in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltrú, located south of Barcelona, occurred in a warehouse storing pool cleaning chemicals, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Civil Protection Service issued a warning via social media, urging anyone in the affected area to stay indoors: “If you are in the zone that is affected, do not leave your home or your place of work.”

Residents in the danger zone, which spans five coastal districts from Vilanova i la Geltrú to the village of Calafell near Tarragona, have also been advised to keep doors and windows closed to prevent exposure to the toxic gas. As of now, no casualties have been reported. The fire service, which dispatched numerous firefighting units to the scene, confirmed that the blaze has been contained.

However, authorities are continuing to monitor the smoke plume for changes in its toxicity levels. In response to the danger, local authorities closed roads and shut down train stations to keep people from approaching the area. 

“It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire, but when it does, it is very hard to put it out,” said Jorge Vinuales Alonso, the owner of the warehouse, in an interview with local radio station Rac1. He speculated that a lithium battery may have sparked the fire.

By Naila Huseynova