Ammonia leak
in Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre cold room; no one
injured
SINGAPORE - Ammonia gas leaked in a cold room at the Pasir
Panjang Wholesale Centre on Thursday (April 28) and Friday. No one
was injured.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted at
9.19pm on Friday to an ammonia leakage at one of the units at the
fruit, vegetable and dried goods wholesale centre.
On arrival, SCDF officers detected the presence of ammonia in the
air and immediately shut off the main valve that supplied the gas
to the cold room.
The officers also used ventilation equipment to disperse the
ammonia. No one was injured, SCDF said.
Fruit and vegetable seller Mr Hu, 27, told Chinese evening daily
Lianhe Wanbao that two workers already detected a foul smell in the
air on Thursday afternoon.
They said that there was a pungent smell and they had difficulty
breathing. One worker said the air stung his eyes.
Mr Hu told them to seal the room, and he did an Internet search of
their symptoms. From the search, he thought it could be an ammonia
leak.
Mr Hu said he normally starts work at 7.30am in the morning till 5
or 6pm in the evening. He called the police after he got off
work.
The area around the cold room was cordoned off, and some suppliers
faced delays when trying to move their produce, Wanbao said.
Commonly used as a refrigerant, ammonia is a colourless gas that
has a strong pungent odour. When inhaled, it can irritate the eyes
and throat, cause dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
Breathing in large amounts can result in respiratory distress or
failure.
-- ST