An ammonia leak took place around 6:30 a.m. this Wednesday (local time) at the Food Marketing Company (COPMAR), located in the municipalityOld Havana, in the vicinity of the Havana port.
Initially there were no injuries as a result of the gas leak.
Julio César Cruz, head of Security of the entity, indicated that the escape was related toa pipe that broke in a cold room in which about 40 tons of minced meat and 250 tons of chicken were stored, that “they are completely out of danger of contamination,” he specified.Havana Tribune.
According to official information, the packaging and the "quick" mobilization of the authorities prevented the food from being contaminated, although now it must be changed location as soon as possible.
Lieutenant Colonel Alexis Sotolongo, fire chief of Old Havana, reported that the situation is “totally controlled and without danger to citizens.”
“First impressions seem to indicate that it was related to a technological problem with situations on the deck, overexploitation and maintenance,” reports the aforementioned official media.
Havana Tribune He noted that after the event, control and protection mechanisms were activated for similar cases. The action protocol included the rapid intervention of firefighters and ambulances from the Comprehensive Medical Emergency System (SIUM).
The COPMAR company belongs to the Food Industry Business Group and has been designated “National Vanguard” for five consecutive years.
The entity is responsible for the reception, storage and marketing of frozen meat products, such as fish, chicken, hot dogs, among others; in addition to soy and oil.
It is also responsible for the distribution of chicken from the basic basket and medical diets.
The ammonia that escaped this Wednesday from the COPMAR facilities is a colorless gas with a characteristic odor, which is corrosive to the skin, eyes and lungs, even in low concentrations.
Symptoms of exposure to anhydrous ammonia include skin and eye burns, severe sore throat, and coughing or wheezing.
At the closing of this note, other details about the incident that occurred in Old Havana are unknown.
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