The emergency services have responded to Hitra Mat in connection with a major ammonia leak. We are talking about an ammonia tank with one tonne of ammonia. No injuries have been reported. The incident must have happened at 1.30pm. Blocked off – Ammonia creates a toxic cloud in high concentrations, but so far no one has been directly affected or injured by the incident. That’s what Frank Hansen, supervisor of the Trøndelag fire and rescue service, says. He says that they have control over people who are nearby. An area of one kilometer is cordoned off around the factory. Residents are also not allowed to drive into the area. Work is now underway on site to gain an overview of the situation. – Aid has also been recruited from Trondheim with chemical divers, says Hansen. Blocking the road. Photo: Ronny Teigås Working in the wind On Wednesday and Thursday, wind gusts of over 40 m/s have been forecast in several places along the coast in the county and the duty manager says there is already quite a bit of wind. – We have some wind, about 10 meters per second from the southwest. So that means we get a problem on one side of the leak point in relation to the gas. Nevertheless, Hansen says that it does not make it more challenging to work. – We come to all sides. The gas drifts off, but it clings to the air. So far there is no danger to people in the area, but the police urge everyone, including people in boats, to keep their distance. At 14.41 the police report that the fire service has stopped the leak. Stoppage in production – No one is injured and no one is missing. That’s what the Managing Director of Hitra Mat, Kjetil Bjerkestrand, says before he goes to meet with the task manager on site. It is still unknown what the cause of the leak is. – We only know that a valve has gone and that the tank was serviced today, says Bjerkestrand. For Hitra Mat, the leak means a temporary shutdown. – There are no greater consequences than current production being temporarily halted. Today’s items are also being held back until we know whether they have been exposed or not.
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Major ammonia leak at Hitra – people have been evacuated – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
