1,100 evacuated from hospital after nitric acid leak

Nurses evacuate patients from the National Police Hospital in southern Seoul after a leak of nitric acid, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Lee Kyung-min

Some 700 medical workers and 400 patients were evacuated from the National Police Hospital in southeastern Seoul after a toxic chemical leak, Wednesday.

No casualties were reported, police said.

According to the hospital, about one liter of nitric acid was accidentally leaked on the second floor of the main building of the hospital at 9:37 a.m.

The leak was reportedly caused by a hospital worker who was trying to move bottles of the toxic chemical. The hospital purchased them in 2011, and was disposing of them as it is prohibited to use the chemical after three years.

“There were seven one-liter bottles filled with the liquid. I tossed them into the hazardous waste container, and put the lid on. Seconds after that, there was a sound like something being hit. When I turned around, the lid was gone, and there was an orange-colored smoke coming from the spilled nitric acid,” the hospital worker told reporters.

Nitric acid is known to cause respiratory ailments if inhaled in large amounts.

The hospital immediately called emergency workers, who covered the leak with sand to keep the resultant gas from spreading.

“The broken bottles were successfully removed from the scene by staff with safety equipment, and the toxic residue is now being removed,” an official from the fire department said.

The 1,100 who were evacuated returned to the building three hours after the leak after authorities determined the air inside was safe.

“We apologize for the incident, and after the investigation is complete over what caused the leak, we will do our best to keep this from happening again,” an official from the hospital said.