Port Moody Police say the gas leaking from several large canisters in a commercial truck that flipped on its side on Clarke Road this morning, Dec. 24, was carbon dioxide.
It was initially feared the gas was ammonia. That prompted the evacuation of nearby construction site and residents of several homes in the area were asked to shelter in place. It has since been rescinded.
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, carbon dioxide is considered minimally toxic, but exposure to high concentrations can cause asphyxiation and even frostbite.
PMPD spokesperson, Const. Sam Zacharias, said first responders were called to the incident on Clarke, just above the intersection where it meets St. Johns Street and the Barnet Highway, at about 10:40 a.m.
Video shared on social media showed a commercial flatbed truck with a small crane lying on its side in the curve, with a white gas spewing from several large cannister that had been knocked askew b the collision.
Zacharias said the road was closed and motorists as well as pedestrians were asked to avoid the area. As of 4:25 p.m., it remains closed as power and telephone lines are restored.
Traffic was diverted to Cecile Drive during the incident.
