FEBRUARY 12, 2015
An orange cloud outside Barcelona after chemical plant explosion. Rocket propellant chemicals exploded: nitric acid, ferric chloride and dinitrogen tetroxide.
Three
people were reportedly injured in a chemical explosion in northern Spain, which
created a toxic orange cloud. Residents in towns around Barcelona were told to
stay indoors. The restrictions were lifted after about four hours.
The
accident in northeastern Spain appears to have been caused by two chemicals
accidentally mixing while on their way during delivery, the regional government
in Catalonia said, as cited by Reuters.
The
explosion and fire happened at Simar, a chemical distribution company.
The
explosion resulted in a thick orange cloud, which prompted government warnings
for residents in nearby towns to stay indoors and shut their windows.
Authorities also shut down several roads.
"Unfortunately
there isn't much wind in the area so the toxic cloud is taking longer to
disperse," the Catalan Interior Ministry's Ramon Espadelar told El Pais.
The six
towns are home to thousands of people. Igualada, Catalonia, is still largely
engulfed in the orange mist.
One of the
two chemicals involved was nitric acid, which is corrosive and toxic.
Red fuming nitric acid and ferric chloride are
involved, along with dinitrogen tetroxide – that explains the red-orange color
of the gases of the explosion.
The
explosion took place at 9:00 local time (10:00 GMT) Thursday, according to the
daily La Vanguardia.
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Three
people were reportedly injured in a chemical explosion in northern Spain, which
created a toxic orange cloud. Residents in towns around Barcelona were told to
stay indoors. The restrictions were lifted after about four hours.
One of the
two chemicals involved was nitric acid, which is corrosive and toxic.
Red fuming nitric acid and ferric chloride are
involved, along with dinitrogen tetroxide – that explains the red-orange color
of the gases of the explosion.
The
accident in northeastern Spain appears to have been caused by two chemicals
accidentally mixing while on their way during delivery, the regional government
in Catalonia said, as cited by Reuters.
The
explosion and fire happened at Simar, a chemical distribution company.
The
explosion resulted in a thick orange cloud, which prompted government warnings
for residents in nearby towns to stay indoors and shut their windows.
Authorities also shut down several roads.
"Unfortunately
there isn't much wind in the area so the toxic cloud is taking longer to
disperse," the Catalan Interior Ministry's Ramon Espadelar told El Pais.
The six
towns are home to thousands of people. Igualada, Catalonia, is still largely
engulfed in the orange mist.
One of the
two chemicals involved was nitric acid, which is corrosive and toxic.
The
explosion took place at 9:00 local time (10:00 GMT) Thursday, according to the
daily La Vanguardia.
What led to
the chemicals mixing was an accident during the unloading of the trucks. This
caused a fire, injuring the people, whose condition is still not known, it
reported.
The
recommendation to stay indoors was partially withdrawn an hour later, Reuters
reports. However, infants and the elderly were advised to be kept indoors in
the six towns affected by the cloud.
Spain's
emergency services have taken to Twitter, recommending that people remain calm.
They discouraged citizens from going outdoors and taking pictures until the
containment order is fully lifted.