Walsall: Canal tested for deadly cyanide and other chemicals as serious incident declared after spill | UK News

Canal water in the West Midlands is being tested for sodium cyanide following a toxic chemical spill.

Walsall Council said the Environment Agency had reported a spill that occurred directly into the Pleck canal on Monday.

A major incident has been declared, involving police, firefighters, the Canal and Rivers Trust and Severn Trent Water.

Exposure to sodium cyanide can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion, changes in heart rate and loss of consciousness, Public Health England states on its website.

Ingesting cyanide salts, which can dissolve in water, releases cyanide into the body, the agency adds.

In high enough concentrations it can be fatal.

There is potentially a “serious health risk” if people or their pets are exposed to the chemical by touching the water, Walsall Council said.

Anyone who has caught fish in the canal is advised not to eat it.

Members of the public are being asked to avoid an “extensive area of ​​the canal and towpaths” from “Walsall lock flight to the lock flights at Rushall/Ryders Green and Perry Barr”.

The Environment Agency is testing the water for “sodium cyanide and other chemicals”, the council said.

It hopes to “reduce the impacted area as quickly as possible.”

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Councilor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council, said: “Our priority is the safety of our residents.

“We are working closely with our partners to manage this situation which has been declared a serious incident.

“For your own safety, avoid this area of ​​the canal and its paths.”

Sodium cyanide is used in industry for cleaning, galvanizing, extracting and photographing metals.