Two neighborhoods, three schools and a brewing company had to be evacuated after an ice factory suffered an ammonia leak in Torreón, Coahuila.
The leak allegedly came from a business by the name of “Bajo Cero” located on the street of Mateo Almanza.
Municipal Civil Protection Agency leader Alberto Porragas Quintanilla said that the factory will be closed because it doesn’t have the necessary permits and is not registered with the Torreón business bureau Ventanilla Universal.
Porragas Quintanilla also said that legal action will be taken against the factory due to the leak and its environmental repercussions.
After the incident was reported, members of the army, Coahuila Force and Special Tactics and Arm Forces (GATES) evacuated 350 people from the gated community of Santa Bárbara, the neighborhood of Division del Norte and part of the neighborhood of Carmen Romano.
Transit authorities cordoned off a 300 meter area around the factory while Red Cross and Green Cross personnel attended to various people who suffered nervous crises.
There were no reports of intoxication or injuries.
Ammonia inhalation may cause symptoms such as eye and throat irritation, lung damage, raised blood pressure and even death.
