Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Elements of the Municipal Coordination of Civil Protection and Fire fighters managed to control an ammonia leak that occurred Friday morning in an ice factory in Puerto Vallarta's Colonia Primero de Mayo. No injuries were reported.

A call was received at 10:12 am, reporting that the "Zona Fría" ice factory, located on Calle Antonio J. Hernandez between San Luis Potosi and Jalisco streets, was emitting a strong smell of ammonia. Units of the Preventive Police and the Municipal Coordination of Civil and Fire Protection were dispatched, and upon confirming the fact, proceeded to evacuate families from nearby homes to avoid any health risks. They also asked the residents of surrounding areas to keep remain their doors and windows closed to avoid any problems.

Units from Seapal Vallarta, units from the airport and the municipality of Bahia de Banderas units arrived to support the different stages of safety maneuvers, which were carried out for two hours before they managed to control the leakage from a damaged pipe.

The deputy director of Civil Protection and Fire, Sergio Ramírez López, said that the safety measures for the residents of the area were activated immediately. The initial assessment found a neighboring day care center and a hostel for girls, in which paramedics were installed to give immediate attention to the minors in case the gas reached these centers. "Fortunately the weather conditions at that time allowed the gas cloud to dissipate quickly, and therefore there were no injuries reported," he said.

Ramírez López said that the leak was caused by the company's violation of safety standards. Since the material with which they work to prepare the ice is highly corrosive, the pipes must be maintained and/or replaced periodically, tasks that the company did not perform, so the company must suspend all activity until the safety requirements have all been met.

For its part, the Department of Environment and Ecology initiated an AMD-045 affidavit for the environmental pollution that the leak caused. This will be attached to the Municipal Civil Protection's file for the relevant procedures.