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RSS Feed General News22. 02. 12. - 17:00
Gas leak causes chaos on carnival evening
Vienna was in a state of emergency on carnival evening after a gas leak in a refrigeration company. The poisonous, colourless ammonia injured at least 40 people.
The chaotic scenes unravelled in Vienna Landstraße yesterday (Tues), after the gas leak left the area, according to a neighbour on Facebook, "covered in blue lights and the whole district smelling like a chemistry lab".
The incident occurred after a large amount of poisonous ammonia leaked from the Vienna refrigeration company in the business centre of Neu Marx in the district of Landstraße. A valve had been left open. Streets within a one-kilometre radius of the factory were affected by the gas with the fire service raising the alarm to all residents within two kilometres.
An emergency vehicle with a loud speaker drove the streets of the district directing the residents to get into a closed room and to make sure all windows were shut. All drivers were advised to ensure that their air conditioning was switched off and all vents closed.
Officials involved in the emergency operations were left with watery eyes and chesty coughs and some 40 people were taken to hospital to be treated for gas poisoning. Some 13 of those who were hospitalised were firemen.
Also affected was the "Cats" arena just north of the scene of the gas leak. Hundreds of musical Cats fans were in the tent, when the surrounding streets were cordoned off. The show hastily concluded with no one allowed to leave the tent during the interval. Another concert in a neighbouring arena was also cancelled. The U3 U-Bahn line was also temporarily suspended.
The crisis team assembled at the scene just after 8pm made up of more than 60 policemen, 80 firemen, all available chemistry specialists and 40 rescue workers. Emergency services had been unable to close the leak for several hours in the refrigeration company but it was eventually stemmed at 8.30pm. The fire department described it as a "critical situation". "We were only lucky that the winds were light," said the director of operations.
Austrian Times
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tent arena emergency fire department residents firemen cordoned refrigeration carnival Vienna szlig poisonous hospital Landstra Cats chemistry scenes ammonia critical
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