Chemical leak in Cebu ship: Crew members out of danger

Emergency personnel rescue a crew member who was exposed to a chemical leak on board a ship docked in the port of Cebu. |

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu—The crew members of a ship of a Cebu company who were rushed to a hospital after being exposed to a chemical are now out of danger.

The crew members were brought to a hospital after they reportedly exposed to  liquid chlorine that leaked when one of the tanks fell during loading.

The incident happened on October 7, 2023, at around 1 p.m. in Pier 1, Cebu City.

Harold Alcontin, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), confirmed that five individuals were brought to the hospital due to the incident.

He added that the vessel was preparing to travel to Calbayog City in Samar. Part of its cargo was around 20 storage tanks containing chlorine.

Initial investigation revealed that one of the tanks fell while it was being loaded inside the vessel via a forklift.

The tank that fell hit other storage tanks, which caused the leaking of the chemical.

He added that the crew members of the said vessel immediately responded, in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-7 and the safety officer of the Cebu Ports Authority.

The disaster team of the city also conducted a flushing of the vessel where the chlorine leaked.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chlorine is a chemical element commonly used in industry and found in some household products. It is commonly used in a liquid form as sodium hypochlorite, such as household bleach.

According to the CDC, after acute exposure to chlorine, pulmonary function usually returns toward normal within 7 to 14 days.

/bmjo

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