Toxic cloud keeps residents indoors

More than 65,000 residents of five north-eastern towns in Spain were ordered to stay indoors for two hours after a chemical explosion at a warehouse spread a large, orange toxic cloud over the area.

“This is not a game,” Spain’s emergency services tweeted. “Don’t put yourself in danger to take pictures of the cloud outside.”

The blast occurred when products being delivered to a warehouse in the city of Igualada became mixed, exploded and set a truck on fire, according to a spokeswoman for Catalonia’s regional fire service.

She said two people were slightly injured.

Firefighters said the chemicals were nitric acid and ferric chloride.

The region’s civil protection department ordered some 65,000 residents of Igualada and four nearby towns to stay indoors until the cloud dissipated.

The order was lifted two hours later but maintained for pregnant women, children, elderly people and those with respiratory problems.

Toxic orange cloud billows over Spain after chemical being delivered to a warehouse explodes http://t.co/bIOAPyj4Go pic.twitter.com/Cc0LwhJ0yI

— Sky News (@SkyNews) February 12, 2015

Roads in and out of Igualada, located some 70km north-west of Barcelona, were cordoned off during the alert and people were urged not to place themselves in danger by taking photographs of the cloud.

Ramon Espadaler of Catalonia’s interior ministry, later told reporters that the chemicals would “most likely cause itchy eyes and a runny nose, but no choking sensation.”

The cloud later dissipated into mist. Espadaler said: “There’s very little wind, which means the cloud is disappearing very slowly. “We’re returning to normal little by little, but we still don’t have everything under control.”