Spain lifts warning over toxic gas cloud
Spanish authorities have lifted all restrictions for 60,000 people urged to stay indoors for hours after a chemical explosion at a warehouse spread a large, toxic orange cloud over six towns.
Catalonia’s regional civil protection department ended the alert early today, 12 hours after the accident in north-eastern Igualada when products being delivered to a warehouse were somehow mixed and exploded.
Six people suffered slight injuries but only one remained in hospital today with leg burns.
Igualada Mayor Marc Castells said human error apparently caused the accident. The town and affected surrounding communities are about 40 miles (70km) north-west of Barcelona.
The department says the chemicals included nitric acid and ferric chloride, which is believed to be the cause of the bizarre cloud’s bright orange colour.
