Gas Workers Continue to Investigate Many Reports of Strange Smell in Bratislava

Bratislava, February 21 (TASR) - Firefighters and gas technicians are continuing to investigate hundreds of reports of a suspicious odour in several boroughs of Bratislava on Friday, with gas utility SPP-Distribution confirming that natural gas is not the source. Firefighters clarified that the strange smell, which has been spreading around the city for some time, is unrelated to the chlorine leak at the industrial site on Vajnorska Street on Wednesday (February 19), TASR has learnt from Bratislava Regional Directorate of the Fire and Rescue Corps spokesperson Stefan Koci. SPP-Distribution confirmed that on so far on Friday it's received approximately one hundred reports of a suspicious smell in Bratislava's boroughs of Nove Mesto, Stare Mesto, Raca, Kramare, and Lamac, which has been spreading for the third day in a row. According to the company, natural gas isn't the source of the smell. "Since early morning, our staff have been measuring to check for the presence of natural gas in all the reported locations. So far, no presence of natural gas has been confirmed in any of the monitored areas," explained company spokesperson Milan Vanga. According to Koci, firefighters are still trying to identify the source of the odour in the districts of Dubravka, Nove Mesto, and Karlova Ves. "The odour spreading through several districts of the capital and the incident at the industrial site, in which chlorine leaked into the air, are unrelated," Koci told TASR. Koci explained that firefighters are using an infrared scanning system to measure hazardous substances in the air. The device can monitor the air with a full 360° range. On Wednesday, police and firefighters were called out to a site near a chemicals plant in Bratislava's Nove Mesto borough, where a chemical substance was reportedly leaked during excavation work. Several individuals who came into contact with the chemical substance were admitted into hospital. lin/df