Acid spill snarls Quirino Ave. traffic

A section of Quirino Avenue northbound in Manila was closed early Sunday morning after a tanker truck carrying hydrochloric or muriatic acid broke down and spilled its contents on the corner of Pedro Gil Street.

The Manila Traffic and Enforcement Unit said the incident occurred around 4 a.m. when Dominador Evangelista, 30, the driver of an Isuzu truck with plate number CAY 1606, noticed the support carriage of his tanker trailer had broken off, puncturing the container and causing the leak.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s road safety response unit partially closed the road while the Manila Fire Protection Bureau flushed the spilled chemicals to prevent them from reaching the drainage system.

Evangelista said the chassis of the tanker broke while he was driving from Bulacan to Laguna.

He told authorities that he heard a loud noise as he was turning onto Quirino Avenue, and the tanker became loose and was dragged a few meters from the tractor head, causing the spill.

Hydrochloric acid is a hazardous material that can cause severe burns upon contact with skin and eyes. Inhaling the fumes can also irritate the respiratory system and, in high concentrations, can be life-threatening.

However, it was noticeable that responders from the MMDA, police, MTEU and MFPB did not wear ample protective gear in dealing with the spill.