“Major emergency” over fire in Paraguay’s Asunción due to possible leak of ammonia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A large fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday morning in a meat export company in Asunción and led authorities to declare a “major emergency” and evacuate the area due to a possible ammonia leak.

According to information provided on social networks by the Third Company of the Sajonia Fire Department (one of the most traditional neighborhoods of Asunción), the event took place in the Tablada Nueva area, a few kilometers from downtown, and caused intense smoke visible throughout the city.

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The fire broke out in a meatpacking plant belonging to Athena Foods, a South American meat export market leader.

The recommendation of the fire authorities, which sent all its teams to the affected area, is that “the civilian population should avoid the area” due to the declaration of a “major emergency”.

The possible “risk” due to “ammonia leakage” is the primary concern at this time, as explained to the local radio 780 AM the director of Fire Prevention of the Municipality of Asunción, Alejandro Buzó, who insisted on the recommendation to “avoid the immediate area and use a mouth-cover” to avoid toxic inhalation.

According to Buzó, this refrigerator already suffered a fire seven years ago. It clarified that “it is too early” to determine what caused the event, since “it is always assumed that it could have been the electrical system, but further work must be done to determine the cause.”

The possible toxicity in the air has led the authorities to recommend that the population remain in their homes with the windows closed and urge people to avoid traffic in the downtown areas of Artigas and Costanera (on the Paraguay river) due to the intense smoke.