Hydrochloric acid released in Dongen Coca-Cola factory leak

Hydrochloric acid was released at the Coca-Cola factory in Dongen, Noord-Brabant on Wednesday night. The highly corrosive substance, which can cause burns and damage lungs if inhaled, escaped into the air due to a leak in the water chamber. The fire department quickly got the situation under control and no one was injured, NU.nl reports

The leak was reported around 11:45 p.m. By 0:15 a.m. all vents were closed to prevent the hydrochloric acid from spreading. Firefighters used extinguishing water to create a so-called water wall to ground any vapors and dilute the hydrochloric acid. According to the local safety office, the reduced concentrations were therefore "already a lot less dangerous", a spokesperson said to NU.nl.

By 1:10 a.m. no increased concentration of the hazardous substance was measured in the area. According to the safety office, the acid will not end up in the sewage. No homes are located in the immediate vicinity of the factory.