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A factory in Mriehel was evacuated this morning following a chemical reaction that led to the release of toxic gases.
Six persons were contaminated and a Hazmat tent was set up at Mater Dei Hospital. Acting Mater Dei CEO Joe Zarb Adami said that the six cases were not of a serious nature.
The officer in charge of the hazmat unit, Albert Tabone, told this newsroom that a small fire started after employees at the Vernon factory, which produces processed food, threw empty magnesium phosphide sacks into a tank. The chemical, which is used in the factory’s fumigation process, auto ignited.
Factory employees tried to put the fire out by dousing water over the tank but this actually made things worse as the chemical reacted to the water and produced a toxic gas.
Civil Protection officers put out the fire using sand and are now taking the chemical to WasteServ for proper disposal.
The police and Civil Protection Department, as well as the hazmat unit, were called in to deal with the situation. Two CPD members were taken to a clinic for treatment.
Contrary to earlier reports (not The Malta Independent), only the Vernon factory was evacuated, and not all of Mriehel.
A statement issued this afternoon by the Department of Information confirmed that four packets of magnesium sulphide caught fire at the Vernon factory in Mriehel after four workers disposed of the packets.
Members of the HAZMAT unit were dispatched to the scene, along with members of the Police Force.
When the fire was being extinguished by workers of the factory using water, the chemicals reacted, emitting a poisonous gas – phosgene. The zone was evacuated and the fire extinguished. The material was also sealed in special containers. Two factory workers and four Civil Protection workers were admitted to hospital to receive the necessary treatment.
Courtesy of independent.com.mt
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