One minor reportedly died and at least 24 individuals were rushed to hospitals following an ammonia leak in a cold storage facility in Brgy. North Bay Boulevard North in Navotas on Monday night, June 19.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the victims were rushed to the Tondo Medical Hospital and to the Navotas City Hospital after experiencing difficulty breathing, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.
“DOH East Avenue Medical Center through its Toxicology Referral and Training Center advised hospitals on the treatment of the patients. The Philippine General Hospital’s National Poison Management and Control Center also received eleven (11) referral calls related to this incident,” it stated.
The Bureau of Fire Protection said the ammonia leak resulted in a fire that reached a third alarm past 11:30 p.m. Fire out was declared past 2:15 a.m.
The DOH said ammonia, which is used as a refrigerant gas, may cause irritation to a person’s skin, eyes, throat, and lungs, and can cause coughing and burns. AG/With reports from Mark Fetalco – gb
