Fire crews in hazmat suits had to deal with a chemical incident in Castletown.

Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service were called to an industrial area of the town at 9.30am on Monday after a chemical odour ‘caused harm’ to the owner of a shipping container.

Two fire engines from Castletown Station attended along with an Incident Support Unit and a Hazchem Tactical Advisor.

Firefighters discovered a chemical toilet cleaner had mixed with another substance which triggered toxic fumes.

A spokesman for the fire service said: ‘At approximately 9.30am on Monday, Castletown crews were dispatched to investigate reports of a chemical odour in a shipping storage container that had caused harm to the occupant.

‘Various hazards were stored within the container and a team wearing breathing apparatus and gas tight suits were deployed to identify the source of the fumes.

‘Crews discovered a chemical toilet cleaning product had mixed with another substance causing a chemical reaction and toxic fumes.

‘The team separated the products and were then assisted by a further breathing apparatus team for decontamination.

‘Once the Fire Service were happy that there was no longer a risk present, the incident was brought to a conclusion.’

It is unclear what harm was caused to the owner of the shipping container and whether he needed any medical treatment.

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