Order to confine 160,000 Spaniards, due to toxic chlorine cloud near Barcelona, lifted

Authorities immediately sprung into action and urged the residents in the affected zone to stay indoors, but hours later lifted the restricting order.

A toxic cloud caused by a fire in a chemical products company is photographed in Vilanova i la Geltrú, near Barcelona. (Kike Ricon/Europa Press via AP)

The Civil Protection Service in a post on X said “If you are in the zone that is affected, do not leave your home or your place of work.” The service advised the citizens to close the doors and windows in the risk zone, which stretched across five towns along the coast, from Vilanova i la Geltrú to the village of Calafell, near Tarragona.

The Catalan emergency services onSaturday said that no one was hurt in the fire, but residents in at least five towns were informed via message on their respective mobile phones to stay indoors due to the toxic cloud of chlorine.

Jorge Vinuales Alonso, owner of the industrial property, told local radio station Rac1 that “It is very difficult for chlorine to catch fire, but when it does so it is very hard to put it out,” Reuters reported. Alonso further said that the cause of the fire in the warehouse could have been a lithium battery.

Among the other precautionary measures, trains which were due to be passed from the affected area were halted, roads leading to the region were blocked by the administration and other events which were planned remained cancelled.

Civil Protection spokesperson Joan Ramon Cabello, in a statement to local media said that fire was under control.

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