A major emergency and security system was deployed this Friday morning on the Chronopost site in Ferrières-en-Brie (Seine-et-Marne). A chemical reaction involving a substance contained in one of the packages processed by the center led to the release of toxic smoke, says The Parisian. Employees suddenly felt pain in the head, throat and chest.
Dozens of firefighters
They also suffered violent coughing fits. The cause was three bottles of hydrochloric acid in a package which broke. Their contents spilled onto another package, causing a reaction with the glue on the labels, detailed a source close to the matter. Nearly 70 firefighters were sent to the scene, as well as police officers.
They set up a security perimeter and evacuated some 90 employees, specifies The Marne. None of the latter was hospitalized but rescuers placed around ten under medical surveillance. A police investigation established that there was no deliberate act behind the incident.
