Tens of thousands of people in Spain have been warned to stay indoors as a toxic chlorine cloud spreads over parts of the country.
The gas has been released as a result of a fire at an industrial property storing pool cleaning products in the coastal city of Vilanova i la Geltru in Catalonia early on Saturday morning.
It has covered an area south of Barcelona, affecting up to 160,000 people.
Spanish authorities sent a mobile message to the affected population warning them to say indoors.
“If you are in the zone that is affected do not leave your home or your place of work,’ the Civil Protection service said on social media.
The Department of the Interior of the Generalitat said another message will be sent to let people know when the danger is over.
The affected area stretches from Vilanova i la Geltru to Calafell, near Tarragona.
The Foreign Office (FCDO) urged Britons in the area to follow the advice of local authorities, including staying indoors and keeping doors and windows closed.
Updated on 12 May 2025: The FCDO removed its warning about the toxic chlorine cloud on Monday morning.
