Shelter-in-Place Order Issued Following Chemical Incident in South Wales

Residents near a chemical plant were instructed to close their windows and doors after a white mist was observed emanating from the facility at the Dow site in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. South Wales Police issued this precautionary advice due to the incident.

Firefighters responded to the scene with multiple crews, reinforcing the police’s recommendations. The advisory affected people in Dinas Powys, Sully, and Penarth. These residents have now been informed that it is safe to reopen their doors and windows.

The fire service confirmed the all-clear status on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The plant, which has been producing silicone since 1952 under its previous name, Dow Corning, employs approximately 630 people. A spokeswoman from Dow confirmed there had been a chemical release.

She stated, “The cause of the release was quickly identified and contained and at 16:50 BST the all-clear signal was given and shared with the community. There have been no resulting injuries on the site nor any reported in the community.”

Dow announced that an investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the release and to implement measures to prevent future incidents.

Image credit: Jon Darke