10 Jul 2012
A suspected chemical leak at a council office in Essex resulting in nine people needing medical treatment left no evidence of any chemicals that might have created the leak, according to the investigating fire service.
Around a dozen people were reported to be feeling unwell in the Essex County Council building in The Crescent, Colchester, which led to the building’s evacuation on Monday morning.
The same building suffered another suspected chemical leak less than two weeks ago, with people feeling ill and complaining of an odd smell, but it was cleared by authorities on 29 June.
According to Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, everyone was accounted for and nine people were given oxygen therapy.
On Monday afternoon fire crews went into the building but have not managed to find a clear cause for the problem.
The incident marked the first emergency operation for the specialist Detection Identification and Monitoring (Dim) vehicle from Epping that attended the scene in order to try and find out what the chemical was.
The cause of the leak the previous month is still not known, but the building was cleared as being sage 48 hours after the incident, a spokesperson for Essex County Council said.
Copyright Press Association 2012