A CHEMICAL leak that took place on industrial premises on Kopčianska Street in Bratislava’s Petržalka district on September 26 injured 16 people, the TASR newswire reported. All those affected were hospitalised, but only one, who was reported to be seriously injured, remained in hospital for further treatment.
The fire brigade in Bratislava reported that the leak was of styrene, an organic chemical, and sulphur dioxide. Styrene is toxic, harmful to the skin and may be carcinogenic, the Sme daily wrote.
The site was evacuated, the building’s power supply disconnected, and a decontamination process begun.
The fire brigade originally stated that the chemicals leaked from Autoklima, a firm operating on the site, but company head Zdenek Jedlička denied that Autoklima was the source, Sme reported.
The police have launched criminal prosecution, citing a general threat caused by negligence and punishable by up to a year in prison, Sme wrote.
