Spain: More than 160,000 people confined due to a toxic chlorine cloud

More than 160,000 people living in five municipalities in the Spanish region of Catalonia have been urged by authorities not to leave their homes due to a toxic chlorine cloud caused by a fire at an industrial depot.

"If you are in the affected area, do not leave your home or workplace," the Civil Protection Authority in the northeast region urged on social media. The affected municipalities are located on the coast, between Barcelona and Tarragona.

So far, "no injuries have been reported," firefighters said on the social network X, who have deployed extensive resources to extinguish the fire.

The fire broke out at dawn on Saturday in an industrial warehouse that stores swimming pool products in the municipality of Vilanova i la Geltru, generating the toxic cloud of chlorine, according to firefighters.

On Saturday morning, firefighters reported having brought the blaze under control, but were working on "monitoring the cloud generated by the fire to track its evolution and toxicity levels."

"Chlorine rarely ignites, but when it does burn, it is very difficult to extinguish," industrial depot owner Jorge Viñuales Alonso told the radio.