Eighteen residents of the city of Ameryia west of Alexandria suffered cases of asphyxiation on Tuesday, allegedly due to leaks of toxic chlorine gas from a nearby factory belonging to the Alexandria Fibers company.
Factory officials, however, denied the existence of any leakages.
Despite the denials, residents surrounded the factory, threatening to burn it down if factory officials did not repair the leak.
”My four children have been affected by the leakage,” said local resident Mohamed el-Mealawi. “We’ve become used to the smell since the factory was built.”
Essam el-Meadawi, another resident, said a friend of his that was employed by the factory had told him that a fellow worker had suffocated inside the factory premises.
Environment Ministry official Mona Gamal Eddin, for her part, said the ministry planned to dispatch a fact-finding committee to look into the matter.
“We will take all necessary legal action against the factory if the leakage allegations turn out to be true,” she noted.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
