Residents were today allowed to return to their homes almost 20 hours after they were evacuated following a chemical spill.

Six houses were evacuated after the spillage on an industrial estate in Ayrshire around midday.


The alarm was raised following reports of a chemical release at Mahle Engine Systems UK Ltd.

She said: “A neighbour knocked on the door and said to keep the windows closed as there had been an ammonia leak.

Fire crews have been called to a engineering works in East Ayrshire following a chemical leak.

Residents were evacuated from a number of homes in Kilmarnock as a precaution following the suspected ammonia leak at the Mahle plant in New Street.

LEETSDALE, Pa. -- Cleanup has begun at an at the Leetsdale Industrial Park, where a vapor cloud was released while a worker was mixing a powdered chemical on Thursday.
Weatherford Artificial Lift Systems Inc. was evacuated when an explosion occurred while a worker was blending 1,500 pounds of ammonium persulfate in a machine.
Ammonium sulfate is a white to brownish, gray-colored crystalline salt. t’s most commonly used in fertilizers but also in water purification. It’s also a food additive.
Allegheny County emergency officials said a vapor cloud was reported inside and outside the building along Leetsdale Industrial Drive at about 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
“They were faced with a significant vapor cloud situation,” said Chief of Emergency Services Bob Full. “The toxicity of that cloud, though, was of such that we don’t believe it to have been harmful. One person had some minor injuries and has since been released from Sewickley Valley Hospital.”
No other injuries were immediately reported. Full said any residents with health concerns should contact the Allegheny County Health Department.
More than 500 employees at the industrial park were evacuated. Also, nearby Quaker Valley High School was put on lockdown briefly.
Weatherford is a Swiss-based corporation that makes products used by gas and oil drillers.
The cause of the chemical release is being investigated.