Chemical spill closes Isle of Man road for nine hours

Three 1,000-litre crates were damaged

A road on the Isle of Man was closed for more than nine hours after crates containing 3,000 litres of chemicals fell from a heavy goods vehicle.

Three crates, containing potassium borate, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), were damaged.

The incident happened at about 13:11 BST on Ballafletcher Road in Tromode, the fire service said.

Crews worked until 22:30 to decant the chemicals into undamaged containers for safe removal.

Fire crews worked into the evening to clear the damaged crates

A fire service spokesman said the risk of moving the damaged crates was "too great" as they were too damaged and one was leaking.

Neighbours were advised to stay inside and close all doors and windows while the chemicals were removed.

Crews from the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service wore fire kit, breathing apparatus and gas-tight suits during the operation, which involved using a specialist pump to transfer the liquid between containers.

Due to the sunny conditions "crews had to be rotated regularly and cooled down before being redeployed," a spokesman for the fire service said.

Ballafletcher Road was closed for more than nine hours

Fire crews were in attendance for several hours