Italian authorities have advised people near a U.S. Navy base and housing area to limit outdoor activity due to an explosion and chemical leak from an industrial business. (Erik Slavin/Stars and Stripes)
NAPLES, Italy — Italian authorities have advised people near a U.S. Navy base and housing area to limit outdoor activity due to an explosion and chemical leak from an industrial business, service officials said.
The advisory issued Friday is scheduled to last through 7 p.m. Saturday and includes families living at or near the NSA Naples Support Site, which is about 8 miles southeast of where large amounts of ammonia was released.
Local officials were urging area residents “to take precautionary measures to protect their health and minimize exposure to potential air pollutants,” the base said in the second of two texts sent to the military community Friday using an alert system.
On Saturday morning, a base official said there wasn’t an update and any new information would be posted to Facebook.
Italian officials also advised residents to avoid large public or private gatherings, wear masks and clean external surfaces.
Initial air quality at Support Site was found to be safe following testing, the base said.
The ammonia leak occurred at about 4 p.m. Friday during maintenance work on a tank at a company offering cold storage for perishable products, according to the Ansa news agency.
Three workers were able to escape but a fourth, a 19-year-old man from Naples, was killed. It was the second fatal accident at the business in less than two weeks, Ansa said.
Three firefighting teams responded to the chemical leak and nearby homes and businesses were evacuated, Ansa reported.
Anhydrous ammonia can be corrosive to the skin, eyes and lungs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Depending on the circumstances, a leak can cause an explosion, the EPA said.
Anhydrous ammonia is used in agriculture, refrigeration and manufacturing, among other applications.
Earlier, Italian authorities also advised residents to keep their windows and doors shut, and to close forced air ventilation systems. It wasn’t clear Saturday if those precautions were still needed.
NSA Naples Support Site is near the town of Gricignano di Aversa, about 14 miles north of the base’s Capodichino site at Naples airport.
The base’s housing, schools, lodging, recreational facilities, commissary and other facilities are on Support Site. It is surrounded by a mix of industrial complexes, farmland and housing.
