Police: Criminal Proceedings Underway in Nove Mesto Chemical Leak Case

Bratislava, February 20 (TASR) - The police are conducting criminal proceedings in connection with the leakage of an unknown chemical substance in Bratislava's borough of Nove Mesto on Wednesday (February 19), TASR has learnt from Bratislava region police directorate spokesperson Michal Szeiff. The case has been classified as a criminal act of endangerment. "According to current information, during demolition work at a chemicals plant in the Nove Mesto district, a pressure vessel, one metre in length and 30 centimetres in diameter, was damaged. An unknown substance then leaked from it and came into contact with six individuals who were transported to hospital by the emergency services," explained the police spokesperson. Emergency services, including the police and firefighters, responded to the incident. Firefighters collected samples at the scene, which will undergo further analysis. On Wednesday, five men were admitted to Ruzinov Hospital in Bratislava after complaining of breathing difficulties following exposure to an unknown substance, with one showing signs of disorientation. lin/df