Leo at perchloride leakage - Papendrecht - Holland - 20 July 2001
Just
woke up on Friday morning 20 July 2001 in my holiday
I heard just before 09.00 AM the Papendrecht fire department had
to go to
the shopping mall De Meent in Papendrecht - the city where I live.
However
I was having holiday I went to De Meent immediately
because I live very close to it. I was the first journalist that
arrived there.
In the
drycleaning shop BB there was a leakage from a barrel
of 50 litres of the chemical substance perchloride.
It is used to clean clothes, but can be hazardous for people.
When the
owner opened his shop he was intoxicated immediately
and he had to be brought to the hospital by ambulance.
Also 14 people of other shops had to go to the hospital
beause they inhaled the substance that stinks like acetone.
Because
the perchloride leaked on the floor of the shop
also other shops had the bad smell. Therefore some shops
neighbouring the drycleaner had to be closed.
Later that day all the 40 shops in the mall were closed.
It took
a special company and the 1 week earlier started
gas team of the fire department South-Holland South
till Saturday morning to clean up the substance.
Till
Wednesday some shops opened their doors
but were closed because of the smell.
The people living above the shop could get back
in their home on Wednesday evening 25 July.
The criminal investigation is still going on today.
There
was a lot of work for mayor Kees de Bruin.
He was installed only 3 days earlier...
On the
above photo you see me with the people of the fire department
and the police before they closed the whole mall.
On the background you can see the drycleaning shop BB.
I
brought the first news live with my mobile phone
in the 10.00 AM newsbulletin of Radio Rijnmond
and kept the newsreader updated untill my colleague Marijke took over.
Because it was a big happening it turned out to be national
news.
© Made by Etienne Busink
