Unusual chlorine gas emanation appears in Romanian field, CBRN teams called to assess

CBRN response teams in Neamț county, northern Romania, were called to an agricultural area in the Dochia commune on Tuesday 21 April after a 10-metre-deep hole suddenly appeared in a field, releasing chlorine gases into the atmosphere.

Radio Romania reported that small quantities of chlorine were confirmed through initial measurements by CBRN specialists from Neamț and Bacău, but authorities assured that the health of the population was not at risk.

The chief inspector of the Neamț Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, General Ciprian Mitrea, said that the air samples were taken for analysis in a laboratory and that the concentration of gas soon decreased.

The area will remain off limits and permanently monitored by the Voluntary Emergency Service until the exact cause is determined.