Chlorine leak at Romanian chemical plant hospitalises three

A chlorine leak at the Chimcomplex chemical plant in Râmnicu Vâlcea, central Romania, sent three people to hospital and led to the evacuation of 260 people from the site on Friday morning, local authorities said. Police said they were alerted to the leak at around 8am.

The leak came from a compressor in the plant's membrane electrolysis unit, Vâlcea county police said. A 42-year-old woman and two men, aged 45 and 30, needed medical care; two were conscious and cooperative, while the third was semi-conscious, possibly from exposure to the gas, Mediafax reported. All three were stabilised at the scene and taken to the emergency unit at Râmnicu Vâlcea hospital.

As a precaution, 260 people were evacuated from the plant's premises, and a decontamination zone was set up for staff who had been on site, Mediafax and Digi24 reported. Authorities restricted traffic on roads leading to the plant and on nearby sections of road to prevent public exposure and allow specialist teams to work.

Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) specialists measured a chlorine concentration of 10 parts per million just outside the plant, prompting the evacuation of remaining personnel to the eastern side of the site, Digi24 reported. Readings taken further away, at distances of two to four kilometres, came back at zero, Romania's emergency situations department told HotNews. Additional CBRN teams were sent from the neighbouring Argeș and Dolj counties to help.

Authorities sent two RO-Alert warnings to residents within a five-kilometre radius, advising them to stay indoors, shut doors, windows and ventilation systems, and avoid outdoor activity, Digi24 reported. Chimcomplex later said the leak had been stopped and the fault in the compressor had been fixed, Mediafax reported. A mobile command post was set up outside the site to coordinate the response, and emergency teams said their operation was continuing as they kept monitoring chlorine levels in the air.