More than a dozen people needed to be treated at the scene of an ammonia leak in Vancouver on Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters and hazmat crews rushed to Killarney Community Centre just after 2 p.m.
“Crews arrived on scene and established there was ammonia that released off the top of the building from a pressure relief valve,” says Matthew Trudeau, chief information officer for Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services.
“This exposed some people who were outside the building and there are currently approximately 13 people being treated for minor symptoms at this time,” says Trudeau.
The individuals were downwind and outside when the exposure happened.
Trudeau says the main complaints of those affected was a sore throat and coughing.
“The release of ammonia is a serious nature,” he says.
Hundreds of students were evacuated from Killarney Secondary School, located right next to the community centre.
“As a precaution only we evacuated the Killarney Secondary School again just precautionary, there was no ammonia that affected the building,” he says.
No students were injured. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air causes immediate burning of the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory tract.
Inhalation of lower concentrations can cause coughing, and nose and throat irritation.
Everyone inside the recreation centre was evacuated as well and there were no injuries from inside the building.
