A LAB worker suffered shock during a chemical incident following a fire at a police laboratory.
A LAB worker suffered shock during a chemical incident following a fire at a police laboratory.
The premises in Baches Street, off Old Street, Finsbury, had to be evacuated following the blaze at 9am on Wednesday. Firefighters who were specially trained to deal with a chemical incident rushed to the scene and nearby offices were evacuated as rescue workers took precautions against a hazardous leak. But the fire was soon under control.
People working in offices further up Baches Street were in the dark as to what had happened. A worker at Pearl Linguistics said: "There were a lot of fire engines outside but we had no idea what was going on."
A firefighter at Clerkenwell fire station said: "There was a chemical incident at a police lab which we responded to. We sent trained units who can be there for decontamination or trying to discover what happened."
A spokeswoman for British Transport Police, which owns the lab, said: "Shortly before 9am today a fire broke out in Baches Street. This is not believed to be suspicious and no one has been injured. The offices and residential flats immediately above were evacuated and the road was closed.
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