Part of the port area of Meppel was evacuated by the fire brigade this afternoon. A sea container in which overheating had developed contained a toxic substance. People were therefore kept at a distance when the container was opened.
The container was at a company on Oliemolenweg (Oevers B). “We received a report that there was heating in a container with cinnamon,” said a spokesman for the fire service. “Gas was injected into that container to kill insects. That gas was released when the door was opened, as a precaution a zone of 200 meters downwind was evacuated.”
The impact was minor, the spokesperson said. “It was not that bad, because there was an empty warehouse, among other things.” The area was reopened after firefighters released the gas.