Residents Report Feeling Unwell After Fire at B.A.L.
According to the release issued by Bowen and Bowen Limited, the silver lining is that the hatchery and infrastructure including the shrimp farms were and will not be affected. This means that production which will commence in February as planned. Residents of nearby villages, however, are not too happy and say they have been affected. After the National Fire Services assessed the gravity of the fire, an advisory was issued to residents of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa villages. That’s because the pipes in the burning building contained ammonia, an irritating and colorless gas which, if exposed in high quantity, can cause burning of the nose and throat. Villagers reported experiencing similar symptoms.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
The building was constructed using a steel frame and concrete walls. It was totally secured and no one was allowed inside since BAL decided to shut down that part of its operation in March 2018. The building, however, still served a purpose. It was a storage area, housing empty office spaces, three cold storage rooms and a small warehouse which was located to the south portion of the building. It is there that smoke was first seen emanating from. That part of the building contained packaging materials.
A year ago, the pipes that ran through the building contained high levels of ammonia, a colorless alkaline gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia is irritating and corrosive. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia via inhalation causes ‘immediate burning of the nose, throat and respiratory tract.’ We were told, however, that over the year the pressure of ammonia inside the pipes had drastically decreased. Nevertheless, the National Fire Service was taking no chance and an advisory was issued to the residents of the nearby villages to take necessary precautions if symptoms were experienced. Some residents, including children, began feeling unwell.
Pedro Ack, Resident, Santa Cruz Village
Pedro Ack
“I see she vomit last night.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Is this unusual for her to vomit at two o’clock in the morning?”
Pedro Ack
“Yes.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Do you believe that it is because of the smoke?”
Pedro Ack
“I believe because at no time does she vomits when she goes to sleep so I am not used to seeing that.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Was she taken to the hospital or any medical clinic around?”
Pedro Ack
“No. When she vomit last night? I didn’t take care because she had to go to school and she vomited one time and the vomiting stopped.”
Hipolito Novelo
“But she is okay now?”
Pedro Ack
“Yes, she is okay.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Did any of the other children get sick?”
Angelica Ack
“No, only her. She got a bit sick and she started to cough too.”
Carolina Coc, Resident, Santa Cruz Village
Carolina Coc
“My daughter started to feel bad.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How old is your daughter?”
Carolina Coc
“Two.”
Hipolito Novelo
“When you say that she started to feel bad what do you mean?”
Carolina Coc
“Like I just saw the smoke and I don’t know, but my daughter she didn’t sleep the good whole night. I start to feel bad; my belly 
hurt and headache.”
Selvin Hernandez, Resident Santa Cruz Village
“At around four we saw some smoke. It was a big smoke, like when I tire is burnt.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Was is ‘pitch black’?”
Selvin Hernandez
Selvin Hernandez
“Yes. Yesterday I felt good and this morning I started to feel bad. I don’t know if that is what provoked that. I didn’t smell anything then but I think it is that.”
Hipolito Novelo
“What kind of symptoms did you have when you said you were feeling bad?”
Selvin Hernandez
“It hurt me here and my head, headache.”
The advisory was issued for residents in Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Villages. Hipolito Novelo, News Five
