Around five people were advised to get medical check-ups after a gas leak from the local Aass Brewery in Drammen early Sunday morning left them with respiratory irritation. They were outside the brewery when gas filtered out from the brewery’s ventilation system.
Emergency crews from the local fire station had initially headed for the historic brewery on Drammen’s east side following reports of smoke in the street running alongside the plant. The smoke instead turned out to be a light-brown and potentially poisonous gas being emitted from a cracked tank containing saltpeter. Police said that led to a chemical reaction of gas leaking from the brewery’s ventilation system.
“There were some people near the brewery who experienced irritation in their noses and respiratory systems,” Arne Guddal, operations leader for the Drammen police, told state broadcaster NRK. The leak was soon plugged and an investigation into the incident underway.
“This is something we gladly would have avoided, and we don’t know how it happened,” Christian Aass, chief executive of the brewery, told NRK. “The tank is only three to four years old.” He was relieved the incident occurred during the early morning hours of Sunday, when no workers were on duty.
newsinenglish.no staff
