Immigrant center in Helsinki evacuated due to toxic gas

Police here say a melted plastic dish in a microwave oven may be blamed for toxic gas, which led to the evacuation of an immigrant training center in Helsinki on Thursday.

The incident occurred shortly before Thursday noon in the Axxell Multicultural Center, which is about only 3 km north of the city center of the Finnish capital.

Eleven people reportedly had symptoms of breath difficulty and five of them were sent to hospital, local media reported.

The rescue department told media earlier that the symptoms were caused by an unidentified gas inside the training facility, which offers teaching and testing for immigrants.

When the airborne irritant was observed at the scene, there was a training event participated by about 100 people with foreign background. The entire building was evacuated when people started coughing, according to local media.

According to the Helsinki Police Department, it was most likely caused by a melted plastic dish in a microwave oven, as a melted plastic plate containing frozen food was found in the kitchen.