A barge carrying 2,200 tonnes of vinyl chloride, a toxic and flammable gas, had an accident around midnight and a half on the night of Monday to Tuesday at the exit of a lock on the Rhône at Sablons (Isère), a few kilometers south of Roussillon.
One of the tanks was damaged. Three leaks resulted in the release of a small amount of gas, according to France 3 Auvergne-Rhône Alpes. Navigation has been interrupted.
"A security perimeter has been set up to prevent any risk," tweeted the prefecture of Isère. She recommended "to avoid the sector so as not to disrupt the work of the emergency services". According to samples taken, the vinyl chloride concentration is "far below the toxicity threshold".
As a precaution, several residents were evacuated. They were able to return to their homes overnight.
The leak sealing operations are in progress. Two leaks are plugged, according to France 3. A second boat had to arrive in order to proceed with pumping. "The operations should continue until tomorrow in the day," said the prefecture on Twitter on Tuesday.
Incident # Barge at #Sablons # Isère on the river # Rhône: a 2nd boat will arrive in a few hours, in order to pump the vinyl chloride currently stored on the damaged barge. Operations are expected to continue until tomorrow day.
- Prefect of Isère (@ Prefet38) February 18, 2020According to the Dauphiné, while the two doors of the lock were closed, a current was created on the upstream door. The boat "was swept away by the drop in water level, carrying the upstream gate of the lock in its path before running aground a few dozen meters below".