A person was treated at the scene after breathing in deadly fumes at Timaru’s port on Tuesday afternoon.
The ambulance service was called to Prime Port Timaru just before 2pm after a contractor working as a crane driver at the port inhaled either hydrochloric or sulfuric acid.
The person was treated at the scene. No one else had been injured and the port remained open.
A spokesperson said a 44-gallon drum had been leaking.
The fire service said a vessel had to be evacuated, but was in an area of the port that was isolated. It said it had sent a team onto the vessel wearing hazmat suits, including breathing equipment.
The team would remove the chemicals from the container until it was below the level of the leak.
1News had contacted Prime Port Timaru for comment.
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