Ammonia leak caused evacuation of four blocks in Cali neighborhood

At ten o'clock this Wednesday morning, a pungent smell set off the alarms in a fishing factory located in the sixth race with 30th street, in the Porvenir neighborhood of Cali. Ten members of the Cali Fire Department arrived at the scene and discovered that it was ammonia gas.

The firefighters had to disable the system and carry out ventilation work in the sector in the company of agents of the National Police, in addition to partially controlling the leak. That process took approximately four hours.

After the emergency was declared controlled, neighbors are gradually returning to their homes and jobs.

Firefighters had to wear HAZMAT suits before entering the fishmonger's premises. As the name implies, it is a place that handles perishable foods that will later be consumed by people. It is therefore striking that approaching a place where there is food represents that risk and that dozens of buildings around it are forced to evacuate.

However, it is rather common for moderate amounts of ammonia to accumulate in fish farms or when fish, once caught, enter the process of decomposition. In fact, ammonia is a nitrogen compound that is present in a large number of living things, including humans.

It is possible to find ammonia in air, soil, water, animals and plants. The vegetable kingdom feeds on ammonia, as well as carbon dioxide that we breathe out, but it is toxic if we inhale it.

Another characteristic of ammonia is that it does not stay long in the environment and is quickly absorbed by living things that are around, including people. That's where the danger begins.

When gaseous ammonia levels are high, such as in places with high concentrations of livestock, skin, eyes and throat can be irritated. It can cause burns and respiratory problems: breathing slows down and the ability to process oxygen collapses, which can damage the lung and cause death. It is a risk, especially in people with asthma.

That's why the decision was made to evacuate people, according to Corporal Gomez:

Cali and Tianjin, a city of the People's Republic of China, virtually signed the 'Letter of Intent for the Establishment of Relations of Cooperation and Friendship' between the two cities, which, according to the mayor's office of the capital of Valle del Cauca, would bring great benefits.

According to the Cali administration, this cooperation agreement was signed with the aim of making a quality leap in innovation and productive diversification, ending low investment and poor technical progress, with a view to overcoming poverty and inequality.

According to the Mayor's Office of Cali, the relationship with Tianjin had been developing since 2021, when the Colombian city participated, through the International Relations Office chaired by Óscar Fernando Marmolejo, in the Global Forum on Urban Governance, organized by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the government of Tianjin.

As a result of this approach, both governments expressed their interest in promoting exchanges and cooperation in urban governance, economy and trade, culture and education.

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