A CHEMICAL alert prompted the evacuation of a Dorset hospital.
Firefighters donned special chemical suits during the operation at Victoria Hospital in Wimborne.
Patients were moved to a hospital in St Leonards as the operation, which also involved police and paramedics, was mounted on Friday night.
A 30-metre cordon was put in place around the hospital to ensure public safety as Dorset Fire and Rescue Service worked on ‘the worst possible scenario’.
The chemical alert was traced to a faulty fridge which was leaking ammonia coolant.
Group manager for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service Phil Head said: “The safety measures introduced to successfully address this incident were proved to be correct and no persons were placed at risk.”
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