Residents have been told that they can return to their 'normal routines' after an ammonia leak sparked a huge emergency service response on a nearby industrial estate.
Firefighters descended on a commercial unit on Park Seventeen in Whitefield following reports of a 'chemical incident' on Monday afternoon at the site of food supplier, Kara Foodservice.
Workers, along with five homes near Nutall Avenue, were evacuated as a precaution. Other residents and local businesses were warned to keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area. Firefighters worked on the scene overnight and left at around midday (April 26).
The M.E.N. reported last night that the chemical incident was a leak of ammonia gas, which Kara Foodservice today said came from their site. In an update this morning, the company said nobody was harmed and no food was contaminated, and they 'do not anticipate any environmental impact.'
A Kara spokesperson: "We can confirm there was an incident at our site in Manchester yesterday. A leak in a tank of ammonia gas – a common refrigerant – was caused during some routine maintenance by our approved contractor.
"The site was immediately evacuated in line with procedure and the emergency services were called to assist. We can confirm that the site has now been made safe, no one suffered any harm, no food was contaminated and we do not anticipate any environmental impact.
"We are grateful to the emergency services for their efforts in bringing the situation under control and expect to be back up and running in the coming days."
A spokesperson for GMFRS said: "Firefighters are no longer at the scene of this incident. We would like to thank people for their patience and co-operation during this time. Residents are also advised that they can return to their normal routines."
