One person died after an ammonia leak on Thursday at an ice-making facility in an industrial area of Kamloops, BC.
Leakage began inside the Arctic Glacier Ice Building at 790 Sarcee St. East at Mount Paul Industrial Park around 10:30 am PT.
About six people were in a stable condition at the scene, according to BC Emergency Health Services.
The Home Health Authority says four people arrived at Royal Inland Hospital in connection with the incident. According to police, the man who was taken to hospital in critical condition has since died.
Home Health says the others were treated accordingly and released.
Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Ryan Cail told The Canadian Press that the person who died was believed to be a man in his 60s.
An RCMP vehicle is seen near the site of an ammonia leak in Kamloops, BC, on Thursday. (Marcella Bernardo / CBC)
According to The Canadian Press, Cail says there was a malfunction with a bottle of ammonia.
“The valve moved, broke or malfunctioned. We don’t know how it was discharged, but a lot of ammonia has been released,” he said, adding that two more employees managed to escape. buildings.
“The details of how this particular person was unable to leave are unknown,” he said.
RCMP, WorkSafeBC and BC Coroner’s Service are also investigating the incident.
Chris Leader says he heard a “pop” followed by a column of smoke coming from the building where the ammonia leak originated. (Jenifer Norwell / CBC)
A team of hazardous material with Kamloops Fire Rescue responded to the leak, as did WorkSafeBC. The industrial park is located north of downtown Kamloops, on the other side of the South Thompson River.
Cail says crews didn’t realize they were dealing with ammonia until they arrived and found a strong odor in the air.
“Teams learned once they arrived at the scene that it was actually a cloud of ammonia that had escaped from a bottle in the building’s facilities,” Cail told CBC News.
Chris Leader, who works about 200 meters from the leak site, was eating his truck when he said he heard a “pop” and saw a column of “big big” smoke coming out of the ice building. arctic glacier. He said the smoke rose about 30 meters and was thrown east.
He says he and his co-workers were told to evacuate as soon as possible, but were not told how long they should stay away.
“[It was] a little scary, “he said.” It was ammonia, and you know what that can do. “
The area around 790 Sarcee Street East in Kamloops, BC, can be seen in Google Streetview. (Google Streetview)
Ammonia is a colorless but spicy gas that is used in refrigeration, power generation and manufacturing systems.
Inhaling low levels of ammonia can irritate the eyes and respiratory system, but large amounts can be fatal. Three people died in a leak while trying to fix ice-making equipment on a hockey rink in Fernie, BC, in 2017.
A person in critical condition transported to the
BCEHS confirms that 5 paramedic ground crews and 2 supervisors responded to Sarcee’s 700 block. Street.
More details nearby pic.twitter.com/IlqU3vDi29
– @ MBernardoNews
RCMP Const. Crystal Evelyn said most of the roads around the scene have been reopened, except in the immediate area of Sarcee Street.
In a tweet, Kamloops City Council said the scene was considered stable and that evacuees could “do business in the area”.