General Pablo Antonio Palacios, general commander of the Caracas Fire Department, reported that 22 people were affected by the inhalation of chlorine gas, after a cylinder with said substance that was stored leaked on San Martín Avenue.
The information was provided by the officer on his Instagram account, who specified that the incident occurred in the Corazón de mi Patria urbanization in the San Juan parish.
The material classified as dangerous was stored in a “cylinder of approximately 68 kilograms that presented damage to the valve body, which generated a leak of the product and the direct impact of 22 people due to the inhalation of gases emanated in the area, among They were two minors and three firefighters,” Palacios said.
When firefighters were notified, they went to the scene and proceeded to mass evacuate approximately 300 residents of the affected area and its surrounding areas.
The injured people, after receiving first aid, were transferred to the Dr. Miguel Pérez Carreño Hospital.
Hazardous Material
Palacios indicated that expert personnel in the area were activated to handle the dangerous material and its due maneuver.
In that sense, firefighters, experts in handling these substances, proceeded to carry out the appropriate protocol, using encapsulated suits for protection.
The maneuver carried out consisted of “dislocating the cylinder to minimize the existing risk and then transferring it to the La Mariposa reservoir, where it is in charge of the Hidrocapital headquarters.”
Likewise, the commander said that it was “necessary to activate a command post called ‘maternity’ and likewise the presence of the investigator on duty to inspect the area affected by the product.”
The affected firefighters are the following:
Lieutenant Colonel (B) Iván García
Mayor(B) Jesús Siso
Private firefighter Jesús García
