Visitors at a series of Spanish coastal resorts were advised to remain indoors today following a massive fire at a chemical factory, which released a toxic chlorine cloud into the sky.

Tourists in five well-known destinations near Barcelona were part of a group of 160,000 individuals instructed to close their windows and remain indoors as fire crews worked to control the situation.

The blaze started at approximately 2:30 AM local time in a facility storing 70 tons of pool cleaning chemicals in the beachside town of Vilanova i la Geltrú, just 25 miles from the capital of Catalonia.

The blaze caused a massive chlorine smoke plyme to spread across a wide area, triggering an emergency lockdown across Vilanova i la Geltru, Cubelles, Les Roquetes de Sant Pere de Ribes, Cunit and Calafell.

In a stark warning on social media, Spain’s Civil Protection service said: “If you are in the affected area, don’t leave your house or your place or work.

“An alert will be sent to mobile phones to inform people about the lockdown.”

They added: “Don’t travel to the affected areas.”

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